This makes appreciating art, in all its different forms, almost a technical and complex topic of discussion, like a person has to know about the strokes, the lighting, and the medium to appreciate its entirety.
But for Dabawenyo artist Lovella Joaquin, art can be both feeling and technique. It can move you to tears and yet at the same time, furrow your brows as you try to look for and understand its subtle details.
“For me, this a painting, you don’t need to hear any more explanation. Just look at it, that’s the statement,” Joaquin said, as she shared how some of the pieces from her major “My Story” exhibit in La Herencia Davao last October 2021 have moved her audiences.
As a full-time artist, particularly in painting, Lovella, more fondly known as Dadai, said people only need to see and feel her art to make a statement.
“Different people would have different responses to painting, that’s enough for me. Appreciation, in my way of gauging, is how I can engage you, feel, or react to the painting. You don’t need to understand the technical basis or everything technical about the painting or the concept,” she said.
But as a true art practitioner, Joaquin also loves to talk about the technicality behind her work at the same time. And if the opportunity presents itself, she tries to accompany her audiences and walk them through an exhibit.
“There are paintings you would love to talk about. I get excited when an audience (comments about the details) because siyempre, there is someone I can talk to about the technique,” she said.
During her My Story exhibit, Joaquin has made sure to be present at her show every day and walk the audiences through the installations so that they can understand the stories she is telling through her paintings.
“Lingaw kaayo siya (It was so fun), that’s not something other artists do… In doing that, I was also showing my colleagues this is something you should do, engage your audience,” she said.
As more and more art shows in Davao City continue to emerge, Joaquin considers the art landscape in the city as lush and rich in home-grown artists sharing their talent. At the same time, many Dabawenyos, art buff or not, are becoming more interested in the art industry.
“Art gives soul to any place, any group of people. If the people of Davao are starting to appreciate art, it brings Davao to a different level, culturally speaking,” Joaquin said.
In the future, Joaquin hopes more venues in Davao City will be established to provide the opportunity for artists to display their work and for Dabawenyos to be more exposed to varying arts.
For Joaquin, a space wherein artists and audiences can collide and share mutual understanding and appreciation for the art industry will have a great impact and contribution to Davao City’s culture.
