MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES—Many Filipinos found something new to discover while locked down in their homes during the enhanced community quarantine imposed by the government to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and some of them released their artistic juices to get by.
For Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Aya Abesamis, art has helped the people deal with the drastic changes that has been taking place in many facets of their lives.
“The quarantine has taught us all to just slow down and embrace the idea of taking pauses. I truly believe that the arts is a big factor in helping us cope with what is happening around us,” she told the Inquirer in an online interview.
“Art therapy, in particular, is a creative expression that heals our mind and well-being through different artistic outlets,” she continued.
Before she embarked on her beauty pageant journey, Abesamis was a visual artist based in New York. And the quarantine gave her the opportunity to pick up her brush once again to get back to her first love.
“Yes, I have painted and did a bunch of drawings these past months. I also painted a few works along with some great artists for the ‘#HelpExhibit’ fundraising project, which helped us donate to the frontliners and to the people in need,” shared the artist-model.
Abesamis also shared optimism that the local art scene will even flourish during the quarantine with the launch of the Gateway Gallery interactive website on May 18 to mark the International Museum Day.
“Having a website would give people the opportunity to know more about Gateway Gallery and the stories behind the artworks. This would also be a way for those who could not physically visit the gallery due to various circumstances such as distance,” she said.
The beauty queen shared her excitement for the gallery’s “Sining Saysay: Philippine History in Art” collection, which curates 30 paintings from prehistory to contemporary period to tell the story of the Philippines.
“I find the ‘Sining Saysay’ collection an interesting Philippine history art exhibit by our great artists, as they depict various significant eras with a modern twist,” shared Abesamis.
The exhibit may also be enjoyed through the website’s “augmented reality” feature, where 10 select paintings come to life, accompanied by narrations on the sequence of events depicted in the painting.
Managed by the J. Amado Araneta Foundation, Gateway Gallery is the art museum of the Araneta City devoted to the promotion of Philippine culture, heritage, and art. Its interactive website may be accessed at https://gatewaygallery.aranetacity.com.
Abesamis, who was the first runner up in last year’s Bb. Pilipinas pageant, assumed the Bb. Pilipinas Grand International title in January when Samantha Lo abdicated the crown late last year after figuring in a fake passport controversy.
The reigning queens were supposed to relinquish their titles to the new set of Bb. Pilipinas winners on May 31, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the 2020 pageant in limbo.
The Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. announced on its official Facebook page that they are postponing the pageant indefinitely in light of the recent events.
