Genre painting is a long tradition in Philippine visual arts. Throughout art history, paintings of harvests, markets and the countryside representing the idyllic Philippine vision have earned the respect of art collectors and aficionados.

Bernard Vista recasts the quaint and picturesque scenes and characters of the rustic Philippine countryside by adopting the techniques and movements of Philippine modernism from his mentors, National Artists H.R. Ocampo and Cesar Legaspi, and coming up with contemporary artistic explorations of specific scenes and moments capturing that unique sense of Filipino warmth and optimism.

Vista, heir to the tradition of tipos del pais paintings of farm life, is featured in the exhibition, “Filipinismo,” which runs until March 10 at Galerie Joaquin Podium (LG/F, B12-13 at the Podium Mall).

As a founding member of the Guevarra Group of Artists, with Dominic Rubio, Gig and Vincent de Pio, and Jerry Morada, Vista has had successful shows at Galerie Joaquin Main and Galerie Joaquin Singapore.

He was a resident artist of the Artesan Gallery in Singapore and his works have been included in major international auctions such as the Larasati Auction House in Singapore.

One of Pakil, Laguna’s more exciting figurative artists, Vista gained recognition for his larger-than-life depictions of the Filipino way of life, highlighting the rich customs and traditions of Filipinos that they passed on from one generation to the next.