Nemiranda

In celebration of life and the human form

Nemiranda marks his 40th year in the art scene with a retrospective 

Text by Pam Brooke A. Casin

LOCAL FARMERS planting rice and shepherding water buffalos under a hot summer’s day. Fishermen hauling a day’s catch in the wee hours of the morning. Workers happily laying bricks to a house.  Mother-and-child montages. Legends and folklore depicting the rich culture and traditions of his people. These are just some of the subjects Nemesio Miranda or the Angono-born artist Nemiranda has painted in the 40-year span of his artistic journey. 

In his four decades in the art scene, however, Nemiranda, it seems, is not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Attesting to this is the artist’s recent retrospective show at the Grove by Rockwell last May 8. The show not only commemorates Nemiranda’s 40th year as a painter and sculptor but as well as his affinity for the human figure. Showcasing 40 old and new visual pieces, the retrospective is Nemiranda’s paean to life and to the people of his hometown. 

Known for his mastery of the human figure, Nemiranda says that his works have never veered away and, perhaps, will never abstain from what he is passionate painting most. “Ang mundo ng isang artist, iikot ‘yan sa mundong ginagalawan niya, sa kung ano ang kapaligiran niya (An artist’s world revolves around his immediate milieu). My hometown and its people have always been my subject, and how my community is very deep-rooted in tradition and folklore,” he explains.

He adds, “My love for my birthplace and its culture is has never waned. I guess it’s my calling and my duty to utilize my talent and my imagination to depict my community and let people know of its simplicity and greatness at the same.”

The artist says his fascination towards the sinuous human form had started when he was initially exposed to comics and to the detailed illustrations of Francisco Coching. Using walls as his first canvas, Nemiranda recalls wielding charcoal from their wooden stove to draw cowboys and bandits from his memory. His interest for the anatomy of a human figure grew stronger after seeing the historical murals and momentous works of the late National Artist Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco.

In a way, Nemiranda’s oeuvre is similar to that of Botong, as it chronicles and visually describes the vibrant history of his people. His is a repertoire abundant in narratives of the past and tales of the present. 

“The sum total of my works focuses on the everyday life of my people—from the minute they wake up and get out of bed to work to the second they retire to their homes. I feel like I’m a historian through my brush. Pine-preserve ko sa aking mga obra ang lahat ng dinaanan ko, ‘yung mga nahagap, nakita, at nadama ko (I preserve my experiences and observations, whatever I’ve seen and felt through my paintings).

“In my 40 years, I think I’ve already told a story. As an artist of people, I think I’ve used the human figure as an instrument to tell my stories. We are passing only once in this lifetime, and there are things that we can’t go back to, but through my paintings…we can. Lahat ng ito ay kasaysayan ng buhay ni Nemiranda (All of this is the history of Nemiranda),” he shares.

True enough, walking through Nemiranda’s show is like going back in time, back when life was still straightforward and people were already content with the simple joys of, say, waking up in the morning and feeling the first rays of the sun seep through your window or taking pleasure in that first sip of brewed coffee in the morning without having to actually worry about coming in late for farm work.

“Actually, I’d prefer to live life that way. Minsan mas gugustuhin ko ‘yung wala kang pera pero malaya ka sa kung ano’ng gusto mong gawin kaysa doong may pera ka pero pressured ka o napipilitan ka lang  sa lahat ng ginagawa mo (Sometimes, I’d rather live a life that’s simple, a life where you’re free to do whatever it is you love rather than to lead one that is highly pressurized). For me, it’s not how you look, but how you feel,” the 62-year-old artist muses. 

Asked how he feels about reaching 40 years in the fickle art scene, Nemiranda says, “This is all I’ve ever wanted in my life—to create, to draw, to paint, and to sculpt. Being able to create is what matters to me because it’s not work at all. I’m very happy.”

Today, Nemiranda sits as head of the Visual Arts Committee at the National Commission (NCCA) for Culture and the Arts. His mission is to bring the NCCA art program to art communities in various provinces.