Hello Steemians!
I have always been an art appreciator and an enthusiast; however, art is not flowing in my veins. I always envy my friends who can draw or take stunning photos, but that doesn't stop me from venturing into the world of art. One thing I observe about me is my attention to details. If you can check out my first post that is related to art, you can say that with the right tools, we can always find art everywhere. That post entitled Existence of Art Even in Mundane Places is my inspiration for this second post of the same category. Later, I will discuss in detail as to why this post is a testament of art's existence even in mundane places.
With the aim of promoting Cebu to a larger community, I have embarked on a journey, together with my workmate and friend Zaniel, to the city that has been part of me for 10 years. Cebu has been a great tourist destination, but most of these destinations are in the south. From white beaches to majestic waterfalls, you can always find something worth your stay here in Cebu. But those deserve in another post because for now, I will be sharing something that is common yet unique in every city. I will be sharing a work that could potentially tell the you the social state of Cebu.
Let's get started!
CEBU'S STREET ART
I was inspired by CNNGo. As described in their website, it is a 30-minute TV show that showcases one global destination every month. What's unique about this show is that the views are based on the suggestion of a genuine insider. If we are to define a genuine insider, then it must be someone who has been on that particular destination long enough to know the nooks and crannies of the area. With that in mind, I will pretend that I am the genuine insider just for this series.
In one of the episodes of CNNGo, the insider takes the tour to her city Reykjavik, Iceland. In her tour, she takes them to the street arts of the city and described that the city is one big canvas for everyone to express their love of art.
In my case, I tried to research about Cebu's street art and I was amazed that the compilation of this kind was way back in 2008. My Cebu Photo Blog featured Cebu's street art but was limited only to Escario Street. There is a latest article published by Sunstar Cebu on October 16, 2017 entitled Elevating Street Art, but the article tackles more on the struggles of graffiti artists. I thought it would be best to document and compile them in one post.
What we did was explore Cebu's notable streets and took photos of those street arts. It might not be exhaustive of all street arts in Cebu, but it can be considered to be majority of them. The problem I encountered with them is that they don't have names. Maybe, they have names, but only the artists knew what they were. For the sake of labelling, I will be naming these arts based on the street they were from and the order their photos were taken.
Cebu's Street Art and Their Locations
P. del Rosario Street
This one and the other 6 graffiti, including the thumbnail, can be located in a basketball court across Jollibee in P. del Rosario Street near USC Downtown Campus.
These 7 artworks are my favorite because they are made by Aerosoul. They are a new group, but their work shows pure passion. This means that street art is gaining ground in Cebu. Also, they are not yet ruined by useless scribbles that are an eye sore. Perhaps the thin line separating between art and vandalism is the amount of dedication and effort that is poured by the artist in his work.
Archbishop Reyes Avenue
Every time I pass by this stretch of road, I can't help but notice the graffiti on the wall across BIR. If you're from Ayala, before you pass the flyover, there's a wall there that has been a favorite spot of street artists.
Their choice of colors is reflective of their desire to be noticed. After all, people just pass by a mundane wall every single day and don't care about it. But when a certain graffiti is there, people can't help themselves but notice.
Pope John Paul II Avenue
What amazed me is the dedication of these artists in putting their work in the streets. For a society that is slowly embracing the new paradigm, many would still regard this kind as vandalism. The reason why I'm putting the tagline 'A Thin Line Separating Real Art and Vandalism' is because in the Philippines, this is still slowly gaining acceptance.
According to Zaniel, Karingkay is a code name of one of the members of UBEC CREW. A prominent group that is pushing the acceptance of this kind of art in Cebu. Karingkay Noer designs can be spotted in almost all of the areas where graffiti are concentrated. We have no idea if Noer is of another person, or still part of Karingkay. Regardless of their motives, these people are sending a message.
For me, artworks like this are meant to be appreciated. Street artists are artists by their own rights. But because of lack of support and acceptance, many chose to hide their identities and make their artworks at night. You can hardly find anyone making graffiti during the day.
Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue
This one's located across BTC (Banilad Town Center). I'm truly amazed that they can create something like this armed only with a colorful spray paints.
This one is still a work in progress. I only took half of the whole graffiti. If we are to fully examine their efforts, we can say that these people are doing this kind of work out of sheer passion.
Another Karingkay design. One of the many notable characteristics of this kind of art is dynamics. I have been in Cebu for a long time and I observed that the designs change every time. These designs might not be there anymore if we go back 6 months or 1 year from now. They can be replaced with better or worse designs. They can also be totally erased.
Escario Street
Escario St. is perhaps the first and thriving street in Cebu where artists can show their work in the public. Until now, the designs are continually morphing and evolving, which I personally find fascinating.
The artworks are reflective of the artist's desires and of the society's view of certain issues. In the name of passion and drive to elevate art to the next level, these artists are pushing their boundaries.
Gorordo Avenue
This can be located at Gorordo Avenue corner C. Rosal Street, near Harold's Hotel Cebu. I have a hunch that this is where the headquarters of UBEC Crew can be located. In terms of accessibility to the streets mentioned, this is a vantage point.
If I was right about the location of these artists, then the local government must have been supportive of this kind of art because they did not hunt them down.
I guess that's it! I have made my bet and showed to you what my city has to offer. How about you? Kindly comment below if you have something about your city that is worth sharing. You can also comment which are your favorites.
Note: A big shout-out to Zaniel John Barluado! Without you, this would not be possible.