Filipiniana abloom
By Marge C. Enriquez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:44:00 05/18/2008
Filed Under: Lifestyle & Leisure
MANILA, Philippines - Society decorator Rachy Cuna’s entrance to his exhibit is as grand as his floral installations. He literally floated across the lobby of Hotel Inter-Continental, aloft on a banca, prompting a guest to exclaim, “You’re insane!”
His current exhibit “Bayancuna,” is just as atypical. Items evocative of Pinoy pop culture such as gin bottles, bingo shakers, wooden clogs, native floor polishers, bamboo steamers, native trays, egg baskets are transformed into interesting tablescapes and vignettes for space. His colors are festive—aqua, Mediterranean blue, fuchsia, burnt orange, chartreuse and yellow.
Instead of silk, fossilized leaves are the favored material in making flowers. Cuna infuses his signature style—the penchant for exaggerated proportions, abundance, bold colors, wraps and minute accent details, hence, the title “Bayancuna.”
“I wanted to highlight the simple things in life which we take for granted. Yet, they are icons of our culture. I want to show new ways to use them,” says Cuna.
For instance, the lowly coconut rib fruit trays are colored in magenta and inserted with fossilized leaves for accents. When hung as an installation, it becomes a whimsical divider.
He makes another possible divider made from interlocking pieces of plywood, nailed lots of panggatong, used for cooking.
“Tsinoy” is a tribute to his Chinese-Filipino heritage. Cuna painted bamboo steamers from dim sums in bold pink color as that of the little dot on the siopao. Since siopao is associated with noodles, he uses dried white vermicelli and white flowers made from fossilized leaves for contrast.
“Bingo” is his ode to local craftsmanship and materials. Handwoven bingo shakers dangle on two interlocking Ifugao wooden ladders. It looks like a brown tree with weeds as flowers.
Cuna satirizes the Filipino’s penchant for drinking. In “Isa Pa Nga,” “kuwatro kantos” gin bottles are almost unrecognizable in Mediterranean blue. They are lined across a stylized bench, symbolizing the drunkard sprawled on a bangko with a hangover. The bottles are adorned with yellow and fuchsia woven fans that look like little flags. It is Cuna’s take on the “kuwatro kantos” (the standard dimensions of the famous Ginebra San Miguel) as a “national drink.” Swirling rattan sticks are visual puns of the drunkard’s state of mind.
“Kalakaran” means progress but ironically the materials are low tech. The title is a parody on the native wooden clogs, painted in fuchsia, that dangle from a bamboo pole. The installation is interspersed with bamboo wood shavings that resemble gerberas and aqua rosebuds of fossilized leaves.
Cuna also shows the mystical side of the Filipino. T’nalak fabrics are shaped into large cones, symbolizing the mountains of Mindanao, accented with T’boli bells, vines and flowers. Yellow buds are scattered around the installation to represent mists.
“I hope people will ring the bells for prosperity,” says Cuna.
Brown tribute
“Kayumanggi” is a monochromatic installation which pays tribute to the Filipino skin. Emerging from a round glass base by Bobby Castillo, coconut midribs (walis tingting) become elegant decorative pieces as they are lengthened and curled. The bundle of walis tingting is adorned with wrapped bamboo placemats and coconut husk polishers (bunot) that resemble flowers. Delicate vines with leaves, dipped in 24-karat gold, entwine the piece. “They symbolize the Filipino’s golden heart,” explains Cuna.
“Yamang Dagat” shows the beauty of Cebu clam shells that are juxtaposed with bamboo and metal baskets by Chinggy Buensoseco. For accents, Cuna incorporates nito vines and fossilized leaves.
He also suggests that a centerpiece can be found in the backyard. The balut basket, painted in yellow, becomes a flower receptacle. A bouquet is made from found ipil-ipol pods, gathered on the roadside, wood shavings shaped like leaves and flowers.
The coconut tree has always been Cuna’s favorite Filipino theme. In “Puno ng Buhay” or Tree of Life, a moss-covered planter by Renato Vidal displays sinamay flowers on coconut husks (bunot). They are combined with coconut saplings coming out from orange sacks filled with onions. “I wanted to show that you can use anything you find in the market but in a different way,” he says.
Cuna also enhances the hotel lobby with his vignettes. The classic mirror and console set-up is given a modern Pinoy touch with a tall bundle of seagrass rising from a long, chartreuse native basket. This is his take on the “Banca.”
Cuna’s works are commentaries on everyday life and are reflective of the Filipino’s resiliency.
Cuna’s philosophy is reflective of his own buoyant character. “Despite all the problems, Filipinos should stop for a while and laugh and start thinking positive.”
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