Artist and art teacher ABE L. OROBIA believes that making your own way is more important than relying on inherited love.
At the height of the epidemic, artist Eleazar Abraham L. Orobia, better known as Abe, was one of those artists who did not stop teaching art, even though it was difficult to communicate with them. Lecturer at the College of St. Benilde, Abe had a full setup, dual camera and creative sessions recorded with Zoom. “Although sometimes the lessons are long, my students appreciate that. Some online learning sessions pressured students during the violence. “Maybe, our times made them happy as it was something new,” said Abe.
Abe comes from a list of artists. He is of Luna blood; however, Abe believes that one’s greatness should not depend solely on having a respected family member. “Whether you are a son or a grandson. My mantra is to work your way to your greatest self. When you do well, that is your goal because the circumstances of the time given to you are different,” he said. At the age of five, he won the award for being the youngest participant in two group shows organized by the First Good Samaritan Artists. The shows took place at the Philamlife Pavilion on UN Avenue, Manila, in 1989. Abe, who holds a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas, has participated in various group exhibitions and created his own solo exhibitions. He received the TOYM (The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines) award in 2022 for his lifelong artistic, educational, and cultural activities. His latest exhibition titled Unconqurable at Pinto Art Museum in 2023 explores the themes of time and nature, emphasizing their all-encompassing nature. However, the show mainly focuses on the strong power of the human soul, which is shown through crumpled paper.
Last year, he also created several pieces for Kinetix+, the country’s first luxury boutique gym, which he co-titled “Themes of Movement” featuring gray line art pieces of people participating in strength training. “It’s about power. It’s about strength and power,” he said. Learn more about the artist as she shares her creative process and upcoming exhibitions.
How long have you been painting and what made you start painting?
I come from a family of artists so when I was young, I saw art, thanks to my father, and his peers. I was exposed to shows early. When I was five years old, I was already participating in art exhibitions. I had my own solo show when I was six. What motivated me to paint is because of my environment. In college, I had an organization that I ran. I was the founder of Surit Sining, Surit, the search for art, the deep meaning of art. Our mentor was the UST Museum Director and General Secretary at the time of UST, Father Isidro Abano.
What is your favorite subject to paint?
I really make signs. Then there are the natural topics. During the pandemic, my love for bikes returned. I am from Muntinlupa. I can ride a bike to Rizal, Laguna, and Batangas. Anywhere, actually. Nature deepened me. It was an inclusive experience as so much was lost during the violence. Nature became a healing thing for me. Demographics are also there but I prefer nature as an issue, for now.
I had an exhibition at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the title is Images of the Nation. I fought for farmers, seafarers, health workers, police, and everyone affected by this epidemic. I painted portraits of people. Then there are floating papers because floating papers represent human life, they are short; nice but short. We are just on our way to the world. In my nature study, those floating papers are still there. But in the end, I changed the paper materials to aluminum foils from my paint tube. Human existence means that humans have a great influence on nature. We have to take care of you.
As a singer, I don’t change my style. I just like to add details even in black and white.
As a teacher and instructor, what do you teach others about art?
I have workshops at the Ayala Museum. We work with the Ayala Museum collections. There is Amorsolo, Juan Lula, Lozano. I visit people around, especially my students. When I visit them, I tell them about the works of art. The “stylism” at that time.
There is a speech component, and they are happy that I taught them how to use technique, style and drawing. And then as a teacher, I encourage my students to always be interested in what they are doing. Time is really important. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether a person is rich or not; it is important to strive for excellence. If you work hard but don’t give it your all, it’s a waste. Maybe that’s why kids learn so much from me: I always show them demos. However, they can frustrate me sometimes because of my high expectations. Anyway, I’m generous. I’m just strong, I really warn them.
For example, your student is not sure which method they want to use. How do you motivate them? Or how do you make them decide which path to choose?
Actually, what I always say is, I may be your teacher but I am just one of many. I don’t give myself too much credit. I am one of the artists they will be familiar with when they start working professionally. What I teach just opens my eyes. I present many teaching methods that students can use. There are pastels, oils, and acrylics. I often think that the most important aspect of a good drawing is your drawing ability. If you don’t have the ability to draw, you will have a hard time drawing. I encourage them to try several spirits until they find one they like. Some may fight in one way but succeed in another.
I encourage them. I provide them with the videos that I have. I allow my students to record how I work. Especially during a pandemic. My lessons are like their workshop. In areas like anatomy, I take a scientific approach rather than just painting. I break things down as much as possible into modules. Also, during this pandemic, I am asking my head to lead the meeting session. It may seem presumptuous to say this, but we were the professors most wanted by students following the pandemic. We haven’t seen each other in class throughout this pandemic because everything has been online. I mean, when they start going to school in person, they want us. They said that although teaching them was online, they really learned something.
Of all the shows you’ve done, do you have a favorite?
Probably my last two exhibitions, Images of the Nation, because I was able to express artistic expressions to disenfranchised people. Art is important. Doctors are the most important thing during this epidemic. However, if there were no painters or photographers at that time, no one would be able to give an update on what was happening in society. Through my paintings and my poems, I was able to show the importance of art during a difficult time like the pandemic. And then, my last exhibition at Pinto Art Gallery, “Unconquerable.” These are my plague symptoms. “Invincible” is the human spirit. I was inspired by Ecclesiastes, the timing of everything. There are things made for everything. Time to die, time to be born. There are also floating papers.
He created artworks for Kinetix+, collectively titled “Bodies of Motion”. Is there anything else you can tell us about it? What method have you used for gym activities?
My work on Kinetix+ ran around the end of 2022 and I finished it in the last half of 2023 which was revealed to the public during the gym soft launch in October 2023. I asked for a creative brief. That’s what I always do. My client asked me if I could show body builders moving and doing a workout. He wanted the color to be gray, use monotones to match the interior of the Kinetix+, be above the line, and have no faces. I went through several lessons using ink on paper and acrylic emphasizing movement while being guided to the correct forms. First, I also made a canvas with acrylic medium. Adding more depth and layers. I enjoyed that process. This is where you can show very little in gray or black and white. It’s big but if you look closely, you can see the depth, the texture. The lines I created were powerful because the lines I created were uplifting. They were lifting a barbell, I showed raw strength. Even the ground was exploding. Those who were pressing the benches had lines pointing upwards to make it seem like there was a struggle. You can say a lot by doing simple things, lines and black and white. It was okay not to put faces in the studies to represent everyone. The linear aspect gives quality in terms of movement and strength. I really appreciated my client’s attention to detail and it really helped me understand the science behind it. When I say science, the correct posture as in the three main figures of the deadlift, back squat and bench press series as we both agreed that my drawings will not only be mounted to decorate the walls of Kinetix+ but also serve as a visual guide. Kinetix+ is more than just a gym; a classy and smart gym with professional and skilled trainers to help any fitness enthusiast. Going back to the other three paintings, the decision not to include the face is definitely worth it. It shows that the lifters are really placed in the middle. In addition, I developed a rationale for the grayscale display of statistics in my series. Gray symbolizes control, understanding, and confidence, all of which gym-goers strive for. They will feel more competent and exemplary after completing Kinetix+ training.
What advice would you give to young artists or colleagues if they find themselves unmotivated to pursue an art career or start an art career?
First and foremost, you have to have basic skills, because if you don’t improve yourself from the basics, you will struggle to improve. Sometimes you have to force yourself to work. It can help if you’re versatile as an artist, know a lot of subjects, or just doodle every day. At the same time, in terms of skill, confidence is important because many musicians lose confidence in themselves. Also, don’t let what you see sway you. Just keep doing what you’re doing. When there are too many distractions, you will not be productive. If you must lock yourself in your room, do so. Eliminate any distractions that may interfere with your ability to concentrate. Stay focused.
What are you looking forward to this year?
I will have a solo exhibition at Art Verite next year. I will be attending the Mindanao Art Fair this year. I will go to Art Dubai again next year.
For updates on Abe L. Orobia’s work, visit https://www.facebook.com/SiningWithABE.
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