Aljo Pingol

Aljo Pingol: A Testimony of Imagery

Text by Hannah Jo Uy

There is a particular joy present in only few men that suggests a certain kind of peace. A peace that is without fear; from which the absence of fear is not a result of knowing all the answers, but from having faith that the answers will come when the time is right. A peace that is conducive to unbridled creativity and harnessed discipline. A peace that has found its purpose, knowing that such purpose is being fulfilled for a Greater Being, and a peace that is an experience of higher reality. Aljo Pingol is a bearer of such peace.     

   

Immediately striking with his dark purple Mohawk and glasses, his appearance suggests flair of individualism that extends beyond his outer appearance and into his works, which are truly products of a creative and brilliant mind. His unique style, is only a symptom of the ingenuity of his inimitable and distinctive paintings; distinctive in its people, color and exceptional rendition of everyday life in the Philippines, from the urban setting to the provincial escapes. In many ways, Aljo is more than a painter. He is a man with a mission, a mission to express himself in such a way that brings joy to his audiences. An expression that produces work that takes viewers to another place, a place of possibilities with its reality expressed in the charming details of calesas and clowns.  

“Bata pa ako, mahilig na ako magdrawing,” says Aljo of his early beginnings, “Pag pupuntang office mommy ko, humahabol ako, iyak iyak. Gagawin niya, bibigyan niya ako ng colored chalk. May malaking wall doon saamin, nagdrawing ako ng voltes 5, popeye, smurf, mga usong cartoon. Pagkauwi ng mom ko, buburahin niya yun. Kinabukasan ganoon naman. “ From constantly honing his drawing skills from magazines and other images that inspire him, Aljo, continued to explore his passion, eventually being known among his family as the point person for all aspects of creative activity. However, the young artist wanted to explore more.

After high school, Aljo went on to University Santo Tomas, taking up Advertising. Although committed to his plans of becoming a painter, Advertising appealed to Aljo for the variety of disciplines and mediums that it offered, enjoying his classes in painting, interior design, industrial design and so on. His process of exploring different mediums continued to develop his identity as an artist, broadening his mind, and building on his foundation of realism by studying works of Pablo Picasso, Odion Redon and eventually Marc Chagall. Learning can be considered as a second passion for Aljo, who constantly visits second hand bookstores and libraries for art books, in order to broaden his visual repertoire. His hunger for knowledge and images accounts for the variety of styles and influences present in his work, however despite the influence he emulates, the work still manages to remain uniquely his own.

Upon graduating in 1996, Pingol continued work he began even during college for Toonworks. His work for the animation company served him not only financially as he provided for his family as a young husband and father, but artistically as well, with his later paintings containing traces of his work as an animator. 

Aside from Toonworks, Aljo also worked as a portrait and caricature artist, working from home through referrals and advertising. It was in 2004 that he made the decision to pursue his painting full time, finding his purpose in his art, “Sabi ng Diyos, “Linagay talaga kita diyan, sundin mo lang ang path na yan.’ Pero dahil nga, minsan, may sarili tayong pagiisip, may saarili tayong plano, minsan di tapat sa plano ng Diyos, nasisira ang daan natin. Pero lagging naeend up kay God.” His current exhibit at Gallerie Joaquin Podium entitled, “Buhay Pinoy,” running from August 25 to September 3, aside from being his fourth solo exhibit also presents a product of a colorful struggle for discipline and meaning, a struggle that has transformed Aljo as well as his works. 

The images of Aljo’s work contain a folk narrative, capturing the essence of the Filipino spirit in all its optimism and color. Although managing to retain his narrative quality with expressive framed by a mastery of color, his works have also undergone a brighter and lighter metamorphosis that mirrored the artist’s own spiritual enlightenment, which is an integral part of Aljo’s life as an artist. On the dark periods he got through, from the help of his loved ones, his gallery, and his art he says,” Hindi siya negative aspect ng buhay ko. Magandang foundation para sa buhay ko at para sa arts ko. Mas lalo ko siyang mahal, mas lalo akong interesado, mas lalo akong nagging excited, passionate, emotional, mas lalong spiritual. Ang buhay natin circle eh, kahit sa ilalim lang yung isang part ng buhay mo wag kang mawawalan nang pagasa, tuloy lang. Kasi iikot ang buhay. Iibabaw ka rin, lahat magiging masaya, lahat magiging maayos.”

Rapidly gaining attention in the artistic community and collected by art enthusiasts such as Joey De Leon, the gap between his first exhibit in 2006 to his following exhibits in 2011 provided Aljo with a spiritual and artistic training period in his struggle and search for meaning, which he uses to draw from as inspiration. “Sa art ko, parang pag bubuntis siya. May paglilihi, may proseso, may panganganak. Nagpapasalamat ako na ginawa Niya ako ganito, as a painter, as a visual artist.”

It is this grace and guidance that Aljo credits. As he allowed himself to be an instrument for his Muse, it led to an exemplary body of work of both substance and beauty. Of “Buhay Pinoy,” Aljo says “Sinubukan and pagiging artist ko, hindi ko siya linabas sa studio na pwede lang. Ngayon habang tinitingnan ko siya, sobrang proud ako dahil kung ano mang vision pinakita saakin ng Diyos, andiyan yun. Hindi ko ikahihiya na painting ko yan. Yun yung premyo ng artist eh, magawa mo yung layunin mo, magawa mo yung nasa loob mo, maipakita mo sa tao kung ano yung makikita mo na hindi nila makita. Sobrang saya, sobrang sarap noon, sobrang malaking blessing yun as an artist. “

      For the innate talent and humility that Aljo possesses, it is evident this is only the beginning of his testimony of imagery, a testimony that will continue to bear fruit to a fruitful artistic life.