Art Exhibit To Feature Cordilleran Artist's Igorot-Themed Paintings

I remember the first time I saw one of Jef Cablog's larger-than-life paintings. It was a year or so ago and the piece in question featured a woman in what looks like a stream or river bank. A lot (if not most) of the artist's works actually featured women. Looking at the painting was quite an experience. Cablog's use of vivid and subdued colors to create details in his paintings is something to behold. It's hard not to be enchanted by the artist's subjects.

Cablog grew up in the town of Barlig in Mountain Province. He studied fine arts at the University of the Philippines in Baguio City. He favors using a palette knife in rendering his paintings. To find inspiration, the artist tapped into the Cordillera's rich culture and traditions. Cablog's creativity and consistency have earned him accolades as well as a growing number of followers and collectors. Cablog made it twice as a semi-finalist and once as a finalist in the Metrobank Art Competition. Some of his paintings were exhibited in foreign countries like Singapore, Hongkong, United States, Malaysia, and Japan.

Early in his career, Cablog introduced his works by joining group shows. He participated in over a dozen group shows before he finally got his own solo exhibit in 2012. He called it Birthmarked and had it staged at the Art Center in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. This month, Cablog will have another solo show called Coexistence at the same venue starting on the 6th until the 11th. For more information about the exhibit, check out the listing for it on the Galerie Franceska website here.

Below are two of the several artworks that will be featured in the exhibit. The opening reception for the show on August 6 will commence at 6 pm.

"Chapor (Ash)"

"Downstream"