MANILA (BukidnonNews.Net/09 March 2025) – The artworks of 24 painters from Bukidnon are featured in a special exhibit at the Manila Clock Tower Museum from February 8 to March 28, 2025.
The exhibit, titled Kabukad, showcases entries from the Bukidnon Local Artists Kulektib (BuLAK) and highlights the beauty, struggles, and traditions of Mindanao’s indigenous communities.
Datu Salakup Rodelio “Waway” L. Saway, a renowned visual artist and musician from the Talaandig Tribe, emphasized that the artworks go beyond aesthetics.
“Our art is our history, our way of life, our future. Through our paintings, we are telling stories that should not be forgotten,” said Saway, whose use of soil pigments in his paintings has gained international recognition.
The term Kabukad is a Binukid word that represents growth and enlightenment.
The featured paintings depict themes such as Bukidnon’s mountainous landscapes, indigenous rituals and beliefs, and the artists’ ongoing struggles to preserve their culture. The pieces are full of life and meaning, using earth tones, bold strokes, and intricate details to narrate stories of tradition, history, and change.
According to the exhibit’s description, each artwork serves as a window into Mindanao’s soul, merging traditional styles with contemporary artistry to create something truly unique.
Organizers consider the Manila Clock Tower Museum an ideal venue for Kabukad. As a historical landmark, the museum bridges the past and present—just as the exhibit connects Mindanao’s rich culture with Manila’s urban scene.
For Manila audiences, this exhibit offers a rare opportunity to experience Bukidnon’s vibrant art scene without leaving the city. More than just an art show, Kabukad is a movement—an effort to give indigenous artists the recognition they deserve. It serves as a reminder that Mindanao’s stories continue to be told, not just in history books but through living, breathing art.
The exhibit is free and open to the public until March 28, 2025, at the Manila Clock Tower Museum. Visitors are encouraged to explore the paintings, meet the artists, and witness the creativity and resilience of Bukidnon’s art community.
BuLAK is a collective of painters dedicated to preserving their heritage through art.
According to the exhibit’s publication material, the participating artists include Bethel Ann Redosendo, Elizabeth Baculbacul, Vicar Loureen Lofranco, Genevieve Lazarte Estrada, Jhonrey Balane, Alex Inojaldo, Clint Jaranilla, Mel Rovill, Wilmar Sumohoy, Rolly Hinampas, Jun Detomal, Johnny Viceda, Aldren Balili, Gene Laboy, Lorie Bolanio, Simon Mindaro, Bonne Villanueva, Lloyd Hinosolango, Rodelio Jr. B. Saway, John Patrick Lagrana, Sye, Dave Durog, Ely Macaso, and Waway Saway, who leads the group.
The group also considers Kublai Millan, a respected Mindanaoan artist known for his paintings celebrating Southern Philippine culture, as one of their staunch supporters.
(Contributed to BukidnonNews.Net by Ace Ivar Lou Dumaquita of the BukSU Bukidnon Studies Center.)
Paru-Parung Bukidnon
Elizabeth Baculbacul is a self-taught artist, graduated at Bukidnon State College as a Sociology Major year 1993. Her theme is mostly about Bukidnon customs and tradition. Cultural practices of Seven tribes in Bukidnon.
PA KALIT
Simon Mindaro is a freelance visual artist and rubber stamp maker from Malaybalay City. His works is mostly in realism utilizing any art medium.
Mindaro won the Grand Prize of the Gakit Festival Painting Competition 2023, the Queen Of Queens Europe 2023 Painting Competition, and Puerto Layag Festival 2016 On-the-Spot Painting. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Cagayan de Oro College in 2004.
FEATURED IMAGE: Paru-Parung Bukidnon by Elizabeth Baculbacul. The artist is a self-taught painter. She finished here BA Sociology degree from Bukidnon State College in 1993. She usually paints about Bukidnon customs, traditions, and cultural practices of Bukidnon’s seven tribes.