Six years after forming Pintakha Art Society, the prolific group now made up of 10 members is holding a two-week exhibit of their works. ARTablado at the third level of Robinsons Galleria will showcase a total of 70 oil and acrylic paintings in their group show entitled “Symphony of Colors,” which runs until May 31.

Pintakha, a portmanteau of the words “pinta” (paint) and “likha” (create), was originally made up of seven members who participated in an exhibit for a cause organized by Nathaniel San Pedro and Jan Michael “Mick” Barretto. 

“Many of us took up Fine Arts at Global Knowledge Philippines Inc. in Mandaluyong,” recalled Nathaniel San Pedro. “That first exhibit was a success so we continued joining art events facilitated by Mick.”

They ended up seeing each other so often that they decided to put up their own group, Pintakha Art Society, that included Nathaniel, Dominic Urbano, Janet Ballecer, Jeram Apostol, Muriel Macapal, Sherry Macawili and Zorrick Enriquez. Now, Janet Ballecer is joined by her daughter AJ, Zorrick’s wife Ica Horacio-Enriquez has also joined, and Mick who initially put together the exhibits is now a full-time visual artist as well. 

The vibe among the members is one that is closely knit and welcoming. They have since joined a number of shows that they plan and facilitate themselves, many of them organized for a good cause.

“We’ve also staged several exhibits where we promote ‘coffee painting.’ In the past, we collaborated with malls and coffee shops where aside from promoting coffee as a beverage, we also promote it as a viable medium for painting,” Nathaniel said. 

He explained that some artists might have a hard time buying materials for painting so instead of  traditional oil or acrylic paints, they can express their creativity and resourcefulness—and not spend as much—by using diluted coffee.

For the Symphony of Colors exhibit, each member will present seven paintings inspired by their moods and emotions. While they have their own unique styles and approaches when it comes to putting paintbrush to canvas, many of them paint with music playing in the background.

“Our paintings are informed or inspired by the music we listen to. For many of us, we consider music as our best companion while painting. It plays a vital role in order for us to create beautiful masterpieces,” Nathaniel said.

Symphony of Colors is Pintakha Art Society’s comeback exhibit after three years of pandemic.  “We hope   this exhibit will serve as an avenue to reveal how art can be like music… [where] the colorful strokes and images provide warmth and even comfort during trying times. Each artwork is our way of humming the cheerful melodies of our hearts.”

Nathaniel added that the group chose to hold their exhibit at ARTablado because of its access to a diverse audience. 

“The place is really open for everyone and they promote every artist not just master artists but also aspiring and newbie artists,” he said.

Established in 2020, Robinsons Land ARTablado (a portmanteau of “art” and “entablado”) is Robinsons Land’s very own stage in showcasing the Filipino ingenuity and creativity. This platform allows emerging artists to freely express themselves through art and paves the way to greater recognition of their talent and hard work. To date, ARTablado has mounted numerous exhibitions and hosted over 300 artists.

ADVT.