MANILA, Philippines - His is a tale that’s magnified by his altruistic deeds. But for Joey Velasco, the “heartist,” as he describes himself, who once hosted a deadly mass in his kidneys, what he’s doing is merely making use of what God has given him—the power to create and hasten changes in society for the better.

During and after his bout with kidney disease, Velasco became morose. The father of four turned to prayer. In 2005, he said he was “enveloped by blinding light.” He suddenly wanted to paint.

His first attempts had him creating portraits of his loved ones, including the house pets. He moved on to people he saw on the streets.

His now-famous “Hapag ng Pag-asa,” a 48x96-inch oil on canvas, came to be because he wanted his children to count their blessings in the face of street urchins who don’t have food and shelter.

In his search for inspiration, Velasco found 12 children in poor districts around Metro Manila and Quezon City. After treating them to meals, Velasco took their pictures and retreated to his room to start working on the painting.

The result is a depiction of the Last Supper, with Christ breaking bread with streetchildren.

Today, the children featured in the painting are no longer in the areas where Velasco originally found them. Through his partnership with Gawad Kalinga, an organization dedicated to sheltering the homeless, the 12 children and their families now have homes at Romeo Cabrera Village in Quezon City.

The children’s stories are also featured in the book “They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of the ‘Hapag.’”

Velasco’s art and works of mercy owe to his finding renewal and meaning in life. A former Salesian seminarian, he obviously still finds some connection with the work initiated by Saint John Bosco to take care of poor children, seeking to educate them in holiness.

Velasco has since created more pieces, including “Cast All Your Cares,” “I Thirst,” “Mga Munting Sireneo,” “That We May Live,” “Thy Will Be Done,” “Alay,” and “He Is My King.”

The works have been exhibited in parish churches and unconventional places all over the country. Although many of them are not for sale, those moved by them have contributed to charities to help the poor. This shows that Velasco’s art is one that effects changes—artistically, spiritually, morally and socially.

Art in crutches

Today, Velasco still paints despite being in crutches, perhaps owing to his lingering kidney disease.

“Over the past six months, my crutches and cane have been my connections to Mother Earth,” he said. “I had been in much pain, bedridden at times with some strange and debilitating infection in my feet and hands.

“In those months, we were even transferred to a small apartment where we would squeeze ourselves like sardines.

“I was confined in a small room where our beds and mattresses were just two steps away from the sink and toilet. In such circumstances and trying times, it was almost impossible to paint.”

Despite his difficulties, Velasco said he continued to paint, “as an act of faith.”

His new works will be exhibited in his new show “Landas” at the University of Santo Tomas Museum of Arts and Sciences starting Feb. 5.

Velasco said, like painting, one’s search for meaning in life was a process “where one starts from dark to light in tone and in color.”

He added: “Landas is a path, a road, the transcendence from dark to light.”

‘Landas’ will open tomorrow, 6 p.m., at the UST Museum (tel. 7811815). Guests of honor are UST Rector Fr. Rolando V. de la Rosa, OP; Fr. Francis Gustilo, SDB; realtor Jeffrey Campos; and Antonio Meloto of Gawad Kalinga.