Our experiences of a country's traditions, customs, and lifestyles can be enjoyed thru various forms. And while there are countless ways to approach them, nothing compares to the actual encounters or live immersions of their national treasures. Without a doubt, art is absolutely one of them!
I happened to be in Davao City, the largest metropolis in the Philippines, sometime ago during their Kadayawan Festival. This renowned festivity is a major celebration basically honoring Mother Nature by showcasing tremendous gratitude for the abundant harvests and other blessings received from her through various cultural programs held within the city. It's an annual event and occurs during the month of August.
Hence, while checking out the several activities offered by the Davaoeños, I accidentally stumbled upon an amazing art exhibition within one of their popular boutique shopping malls called the Poblacion Market Central.
What makes this special shopping center stand out from the other commercial establishments was their dedication to art, obviously embedded in the mall’s design. Despite the simplicity of its architecture, they have managed to include striking works of art and other creative decorations into the building’s framework. You definitely won't miss them if you happen to be here.
Most importantly, I was particularly drawn to a small gallery within one of the interior chambers of this remarkable landmark. The art exhibit was entitled “Kada Agosto” (which means "Every August" in English). I was immediately stunned when I saw several paintings displayed within the exhibition hall due to their distinctive artistic expressions.
Join me as we’ll be artwork-hopping today. If you're an art-lover like me, this small environment will surely entice your creative curiosities, and invite you to investigate further.
Upon entering the art gallery, you’ll be warmly welcomed by their prominent signage with some colorful paintings on display.
And as you continue inside, you'll be initially greeted by the nationally acclaimed creations of Kublai Millan, a highly recognized and influential artist, painter, sculptor, and cultural advocate from the distinguished Philippine island of Mindanao.
You wouldn't want to miss his outstanding works because of the immensely valuable contributions he has bestowed to the Philippines in the field of art. I've already witnessed some of his incredible artworks and sculptures in other well-known places such as the Davao International Airport, People's Park, his family-owned hotel, and many others.
Therefore, when I knew that some of his outstanding creations were on display inside this shopping center’s art gallery, I was thrilled more than ever.
Kublai Millan is highly respected for his unique art style and for this specific exhibition, he showed us some abstract interpretations of his creative productions. Can you decipher some of his paintings and tell us what they mean to you?
Moreover, there are also other stunning pieces of art as you walk deeper into the gallery.
My visit’s timing was great because no other visitor was present. Thus, I had the entire exhibition space to myself.
All the incredible artworks on display were brightly illuminated and organized with enough viewing room for the onlooker’s appreciation and interpretation.
And as I strolled deeper into the exhibition chamber, more colorful artworks caught my discerning eyes. There were even 3D paintings that had embossed textures in their manner of presentation apart from the flat paintings displayed.
Take a closer look at these marvelous artworks and I bet there will be some of them that would surely capture your interest.
Here are the rest of the magnificent paintings on display for your unlimited entertainment:
Have you discovered your favorite artwork so far? Which painting has intrigued you the most? What particular art style has moved your emotions?
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Wow! Dear friend @storiesoferne, That's some apt timings for a visit with all the centre open entirely for you.
Amazing cultural display of art pieces, I loved the splashes of colors the unspoken stories displayed through art pieces.
It seems like a day well spent.
Thanks for giving us a virtual tour.
keep travelling, have fun!
Hello @sahiba-rana. You're right, the timing was simply perfect as there were no other visitors within the exhibition space. I had all the time to enjoy the various art pieces on display. I'm delighted that you were attracted by the splashes of colorful exhibitions as I was also impressed by them. Thank you for your appreciation. Have an enjoyable week! 😊
Greetings @storiesoferne, visiting the mall is a nice experience, you also have the possibility to appreciate different works of art; it is a very striking mall for its beautiful and colorful decorations that reflect the goodness of mother nature; when I saw the cover I thought it was a museum, in fact the corridors are very well designed to display the paintings and sculptures.
The paintings are really beautiful, my favorite one is where the children are eating coconut, it looks so real and they are very relaxed enjoying this delicious fruit; the figure in the picture number 3 is a musical instrument or a kitchen utensil?
Have a great week!
Greetings @belkyscabrera. Indeed, this shopping center may be small but it truly celebrates the grandness of the Kadayawan Festival through its artistic architectural elements. The art gallery is merely a tiny space within this establishment, but wait until you experience the entire mall. It will surely amaze you.
I'm glad you found the artworks that captured your creative interest. They are indeed worthy of your appreciation. The object in the third photo is actually an indigenous musical instrument, specifically a native drum. Yet, I had the initial impression that it was a small stool for seating until having a closer look. 😁 Thank you for your wonderful insights! 😊
So beautiful 😍 I love the sunflower artwork! 🌻
And it's funny to see that Kada Agosto means exactly in Spanish Cada Agosto 😉
Thank you @duvinca for your sincere compliments, much appreciated! 🙏
Yeah, as the Cebuano (Bisaya) dialect in the Philippines is pretty much influenced by the Spanish language, there are several words that may look and sound familiar to you, such as the one you've mentioned. Happy Monday! 😊
Happy Monday to you too!!
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Awesome! Thanks for this wonderful update @hivebuzz. 👍
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These are so beautiful, I love the art work, they so lovely to behold, thanks for sharing this creative from that part of the world.