Roel Obemio

ROEL OBEMIO: Subscribing to unlimited possibilities 

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

A driver talking on the phone while maneuvering a multi-colored jeepney down the road, little children clutching cellphones as they buy their ice cream from an equally technologically savvy street vendor, a bike leaning against the trunk of an imposing tree as the children crowd its branches with their playful imaginations. Everyday scenes, and ordinary occurrences illuminated and transformed into whimsical, captivating and humorous works of art through the talented strokes of Roel Obemio. 

A child at heart, this Cagayan de Oro native has managed to create a style that sets him apart from the many painters that cloud the sphere of the local art scene. An atmosphere dominated by realism that paints grim authenticities, Obemio’s version of reality is certainly more appealing proving that whether the glass if half full or half empty, at the very least it can be beautifully colored. 

Having gone through many evolutions, his works have settled into a distinctive form that is characteristic of his optimistic and imaginative personality. A marriage of both style and sub-stance, his works fulfill the very basic elements of art by attracting your aesthetic senses, and expounds on it by establishing the emotional connection, that transports you to the world of child-like innocence, a world where a bike, the trees and the concrete jungle of the urban community are not merely cumbersome matter that takes up space, but rather a portal to endless possibilities. 

“Two years old, nag paint na ako sa sahig,“ says the humble and endearing artist. Such an early inclination to the arts marks the start of the painter’s long journey that is as colorful and intriguing as his own works. The second of seven children, Obemio was born and raised in Cagayan De Oro. An area still relatively untouched by the industrialization of Manila, Obemio credits this environment as that which draws him towards using nature in his paintings. 

“Uphill ang bahay namin doon," he recalls. "Sa likod puro gubat, kaya nakaconnect ako sa mga puno. Doon kami naglalaro, kaya ngayon attached ako sa subjects with ecology.” Upon going to school, his desire to be a full time artist got stronger with no other subject holding his interest or attention as strongly as his art classes. For college he went to a local university to study Architectural Drafting, after two years however he decided that he will only be happy as a student of painting, ‘Walang fine arts kasi doon, kaya nagsugal ako dito... Di ako sanay na hiwalay ako sa family." Despite the hardship, the strain of being away from his home and the family he loves, he continued to pursue his dream, arriving in Manila at the height of the People Power Revolution. Undeterred by the chaotic social climate, he enrolled in the University of the East, as a Fine Arts student majoring in Painting.

“Makulay ang buhay ko,” says Obemio as he reminisces about his early student days living in Quezon City, “Lagi ako pumupunta sa park. kaya may relasyon din ako sa urban setting kung napapansin mo, minsan magulo ang painting ko... kaya nakaconnect ako, nakikitako mga detalye. Aware ako sa loob, witness ako.

” Drawing inspiration from everywhere, his early idols included the likes of Ang Kiukok and Vincente Manansala to name a few, and in this time was his early phase of experimentation, with no particular form or style emerging yet, “Loose siya, wala pang style. More on competition...doon ako nahasa.” While working on his craft however, Roel was also a working student, struggling to support himself by working as a caricature artist. He went through a string of odd jobs at this time; using his talent to work and eventually getting more regular jobs that also broaden his artistic reservoir. Aside from being a portrait and caricature artist he also worked at the effects and animation of Fil-Cartoons Inc, which is a subsidiary of Hanna Barbara Productions. It was in this time that he was exposed to certain projects such as those of DreamWorks Production, Martin Gates Production and Hyperion Production. He also worked on cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Captain Planet, along with other iconic cartoon characters of the '90s. 

Along with his job, he never failed to continuously cultivate his own personal art, choosing in 2002 to devote himself fully to painting. Around this time, he also began exhibiting, beginning with group shows, the first being in 2003 while his first solo exhibit was unveiled in 2006 at Le Souffle in Rockwell Mall organized by Expression Gallery. He also managed to garner many awards and recognitions such as the Grand Prize of the 61st Annual AAP Competition Painting Category in 2008, the first recipient of the Artist of the Year Award by the prestigious Saturday Group and the Grand Prize winner of Paloza Arte On the Spot oil Portrait Painting Competition in PWU. He has also worked with Canvas Philippines on a project that resulted in a children’s book, which he illustrated. The development of his distinctive original style began to bloom amidst his many accomplishments. It was in 2006 that his influence from Fernando Botero and Malang, started to manifest itself.

“Na-attach ako, sa ganoon na konsepto, nakitaan ko naman na gusto ko sa playful at minsan whimsical, that kind of subject or style. Nagre-reflect sa akin, sa personality ko, siguro dahil parang animated siya at parang caricature siya... more keen ang observation ko, hindi lang naman childish or whimsical, may konting maturity, human interest. Yung pinoy, simpleng Juan, ngayon nga napansin ko, sa comfort zone nila, parang kuntento na sila sa ganyan, nakita ko ang saya, pero nakita ko din na naka-box sila sa ganung konsepto, kaya minsan ang bahay ko box, parang ayaw na nila lumabas sa ganung notion. Ngayon lang naman ako may show ulit, kaya yung gigil ko linabas ko diyan, kung ano ang na-observe ko.” 

A product of his sharp observations and sparkling wit, his upcoming show, “Juanderland,” opening on June 14, is an introspective collection on the everyday Juan, injected with humor and rendered beautifully and artfully through his paintings. 

“Di naman siya totally na wonderland pero ang nakikita ko kayJuan sa panahon ngayon...siguroI’m looking sa salamin din, yung Juan na yun, baka ako yun, kasi galing din ako sa urban setting, witness ako sa ganun na klase ng tao, mga ginagawa nila...walang pang ulam pero may pang-load.” 

On what is so attractive about his work, Susanne Tiausas of Galerie Francesca says, “When you look at his paintings, what’s supposed to be grim and negative and dark, napapaganda niya, kasi he made his world from the world he sees around...may sariling concept ng puno, ng buwan, ng ulap, ng mga trees, mga flowers, ng mga birds niya...he made it special, he made it unique, he made a negative thing into something positive and bright. Kaya everyone can relate to it...you’ll see fun. When you look at his paintings, he’s making something better out of the negative, out of reality." 

To see the world through the eyes of Roel Obemio, is truly to see a bright and vibrant future ahead.