KALIBO, Aklan - An ancient art of embossing designs on soft metal plates has found its way to this capital town in the Western Visayas, specifically through women who tried their hand at fashioning candle holders and religious icons.

?Repujado,? or repousse, the art of designing on soft metal sheets made of pewter, was introduced here by Marcela Reyes-Tinagan, a native of Kalibo, the capital of Aklan province. She learned the art during her stay in Mexico where the art was popular.

Tinagan was in Mexico from 1996 to 2000 with her husband Alonzo, who had a diplomatic posting there as a legal attache. There she attended ?repujado? classes for two years and visited artisans in their workshops, galleries and roadside stalls, especially along Zocalo in Mexico City. The natives in this area have kept alive the art that originated in Spain in the 12th century.

The process of creating repujado has not changed much since then, Tinagan learned. The design is first created on tracing paper and then transferred to a thin sheet of soft metal like pewter. A special stylus is used to stretch, poke, and push the material to emboss the design on one side of the metal sheet. Each line, effect or design is done by hand, requiring much patience, care and diligence. The empty space is filled with plaster to hold its shape. A metal tape is sometimes used to prevent a tear on the pewter.

The finished sheet is then attached to a base such as wood or metal. To give it an antique look, patina is applied on the surface before it is polished. Sometimes a design has to be broken down into several pieces and re-assembled to fit the base. Depending on the speed of the artist or the hours spent working, repujado is a time-consuming art.

Even when she returned to the Philippines, Tinagan persisted with her creations. Wanting to share the craft, she also taught repujado to women, hoping it would be an income generating activity for them. She started in 2005 in Paranaque, and the following year offered a workshop for women and local artists in Kalibo.

Among those who trained with Tinagan was Sumra dela Cruz-Rojo, a local artist and curator of Aklan Museum. Rojo notes that the art of repujado presents many possibilities for artists or craft makers. Her own works include napkin and candle holders.

Tinagan's creations bear their Hispanic imprint and reflect her deep religious roots. Among them are her two Virgin of Guadalupe repujado icons, whose faces are painted in oil with the rest of the body being repujado. The Virgin of Guadalupe, known as the brown-skinned virgin, is the patron saint of Mexico.

?My repujado teacher said that no two Virgin of Guadalupe faces are alike. Mine, too, are different from the many others I have seen,? Tinagan shares.

Her other works include a Santo Nino, a nativity scene, Our Lady of Kazan, crucifixes, angels, a desk clock, note pad holder and a tea box that is also perfect for storing small treasures. Semi-precious stones such as jade, lapis lazuli and agate, among others, are embedded on the surface to give the repujado a striking finish.

Some of her works are on exhibit at the Aklan Museum, but these are not for sale despite offers from friends and strangers. They can place orders, however, but have to wait for weeks or months. It is difficult to get hold of soft metal sheets for repujado, Tinagan explains, as the materials have to be imported from Mexico via the United States. She is still searching for metal workshops that are willing to produce the sheets.

Tinagan's artistic experience was shaped by her travels. Her stay in Japan, Spain, Chile and Mexico, by reason of her husband's assignment, gave her time to learn new skills like needlework, painting, cooking and dancing. She took oil painting lessons while in Chile, and in Japan learned doll painting, Ikebana and ?washi atari,? a traditional Japanese paper art.

Her repujado art is just one of Tinagan's achievements that she has been wearing lightly. She wrote a book, ?Viva Kay Senor Santo Nino: Aklan's Santo Nino Ati-Atihan Festivals,? published by the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts in 2001. It retrieved stories on how the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo, the mother of all street dancing and ?ati-ati? festivals, evolved from a pagan celebration to become a cherished religious festival in Kalibo.

Tinagan finished Bachelor of Arts in History at the Assumption Convent in Iloilo City and Bachelor of Science in Education at Aklan College and Master of Arts in Education at De La Salle University. She taught in Kalibo and Manila and later served as officer of the Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes Memorial Foundation and the ?Asociacion de Damas Diplomaticas en Asia y Australia en Madrid.? She has also received awards and recognition for her involvement in cultural activities here and abroad. Women's Feature Service