It was one afternoon when my siblings and I decided to stop by at the Gray Wall Art Studio before going out for dinner. We were driven more by curiosity rather than by anything else. Lo and behold! We found out to our surprise that the resident artist in this studio is no other than the son of Ricarte M. Puruganan, a multi awarded artist, one of the Thirteen Moderns who ushered in a new era in Philippine art in the 1930's, and was a contemporary of Fernando Amorsolo, HR Ocampo, Cesar Legaspi, Botong Francisco and Anita Magsaysay-Ho.
So what is my impression of Victor Puruganan? He is one artist who can talk about his life with candor and enthusiastically discuss his art at great length. He definitely lives and breathes his art. He is the only one among all the children of Ricarte Puruganan who followed the footsteps of his father. Victor can best be described with one word, versatile. He has the ability to shift from one medium to another and from one genre of art to another. He is not only a painter but also a sculptor who is very much passionate about art and life.
Victor finished a two year course in fine arts at the City College of San Francisco in the United States, resided and held one man exhibits there for quite sometime before coming back to the Philippines to stay for good. His enterprising brother and sister-in-law, Jude and Naila Puruganan, put up Gray Wall Art Studio to showcase his paintings and sculptures as well as those of other well known artists. Having strong connections in the Philippine art scene, Jude acts as the art consultant for the studio.
We had an engrossing discussion with Victor. We didn't even notice that the sun had already set down and yet we were still inside his studio. It was indeed wonderful to exchange views with an artist who is self-assured and passionate about his art. Definitely, art is in his blood.
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| With the artist in his studio |
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| Interviewing the artist (in orange shirt), Victor Puruganan |
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| The art of Victor Puruganan |
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| The art of Victor Puruganan |
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Admiring the different art works at the Gray Wall Art Studio
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With two of his pieces of sculptures, "Cycle of the Sun" and "Pole Dancing" (red one), made from automobile parts
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His "Cycle of the Sun", a finalist in the GSIS Sculpture Competition 2014
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A book authored by his renowned artist father, Ricarte M. Puruganan
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A painting by Spanish artist, Cesar Caballero
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This is Victor Puruganan's abstract work
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