The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Bonafide Art Galleries Organization (Bago) unveils the biggest government initiative for visual arts and therefore putting the spotlight on Filipino artists and art masterpieces admired in the art world.  Manila Art 2011 is now on its 3^rd year of showcasing the diverse and vibrant artwork of talented Filipino artists across the country.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit Manila Art on its showcase date due to Dengue attack. However, pictures scattered on the internet sites in a jiffy like a dengue virus therefore giving me the chance to see them at least through the images preserved in photographs. 

But out of all the pictures, my eyes stopped on the kids.

This artwork occupied a small space in the venue compared to other artworks but it crept all the way to my heart. As I examine the artwork, I realized that the way the art was meticulously built meant to convey to opposite poles of interpretation.

It can either show a balloon vendor tired from selling balloons, finally seeing his son after a long day and the son, throwing the ball away to welcome his father’s presence. The love that emanate from the picture is so genuine like the color of gold that staring for long brought back old memories in me. Memories of childhood rejuvenate my being and hit me with a fact that I’m not being too appreciative of my father’s sacrifices.

However, it could also mean the other way around.

Judging the other facet of the artwork, I could also generate an idea of an innocent child, naïve and blithe, surrendering to the bait of a man who is up to no good. It shows that a child, inexperience as he or she is, will always be prone to danger when left alone, so parents should always take good care of their children without hindering their way of learning.

If I would be doing a film, I will give focal point on the relationship of the father and son who never allow poverty to break their love apart. I will incorporate my second observation wherein someone would steal him by pretending to be his dad then his father would come and rescue him. The quest will begin on the father's journey to rescuing his son and will end on them, being with each others hands with balloons on their background :)  It will be a site to behold for the viewers.

Have you ever set an eye on something so simple yet so powerful and sweet?

 I did.

And this masterpiece is one of them.

 Just by looking at this cute baby, I felt like everything is fine.  It seemed to me like, her eyes tells it all. I seriously stared on it for a long time that it is becoming creepy already. But as I look at the picture, I felt as if it is telling me “Look into my eyes, and there you’ll find your answers” or, “my eyes are the key to your dream”. 

This picture gives a warm feeling of being cuddled in the arms of your mom and never wanting to be apart from her. But then again, no matter how sweet this masterpiece would be, I feel like I can sense violence, not on the baby, but on the people around her.

And that, could be a very promising film. The story of her life.

Seeing the dark background behind her, I can see a picture of a baby in a warehouse where the people who are supposed to secure him were being harmed by someone else. Yet, she has no idea that what was happening was violence and her innocent eyes tell it all. For a sweet child like her, the world is perfect, sweet and happy place to dwell in. Which isn’t true entirely because aside from its beauty is its uncertainty. Then she would grow in the arms of those who persecuted her parents, uncovering the truth behind her identity, as she unfold dark secrets from her past one by one.