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Late PH master painter remembered in British Columbia exhibit

The legacy of the late Filipino master painter Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza is remembered in an exhibit in British Columbia.

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Rowena Papasin

TFC News

<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hRZL2-OTQ-w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>When multi-awarded artist Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza moved to Canada in 1981, he started nurturing a new generation of Filipino artists in Vancouver through a group that he founded.In the exhibit &quot;Walking with Sym&quot; in New Westminster, artists from the &quot;Dimasalang III&quot; paid tribute to their late maestro, known by his initials &quot;SYM.&quot;The master painter died in September 2021 at the age of 87.&quot;Walking with Sym is basically showing what he taught to us. We want to give thanks and make a tribute to him for that,&quot; said Leonardo &quot;Jun&quot; Cunanan, publisher of the community paper &#x27;Dahong Pilipino.&#x27;Cunanan considers himself fortunate enough to have been mentored by the maestro.He said Sym drilled in them the importance of mastering the fundamentals of classical drawing.Another artist who was mentored by Sym is Mayo Landicho – now one of the well-known tattoo artists in Vancouver.Landicho said his work as a tattoo artist was greatly enhanced by the knowledge that he learned from Sym.&quot;He was the one who directed me or pushed me to level up on my artworks,&quot; said Landicho. &quot;His personal instruction to me and to the group, what I learned within the group is my game-changer in everything that I do.&quot;Some 24 artists from Dimasalang III, including six female partners, showed off their talent in the exhibit.Animator-artist Norman Belen, one of the group’s newer members, shared he is inspired by many of Sym’s work which evoke thoughts of home.&quot;I saw his work and they were scenes, simple scenes in the Philippines and I believe that shows one of his message,&quot; Belen said.Among the guests at the exhibit was Member of Parliament Peter Julian, who noted how Sym&#x27;s body of work used different styles like cubism, expressionism, and impressionism to communicate his art effectively.He also hailed the Filipino artists featured in the exhibit for contributing to the enrichment of Canadian culture.&quot;The Filipino community makes a phenomenal difference in the lives of Canadians,&quot; said Julian. &quot;When you think about it, Filipino-Canadians are present in every aspect of our life and have created so much love and art and business and sports successes.&quot;Fil-Canadian lawmaker Mable Elmore, meanwhile, said the artists&#x27; work is a testament to the enduring legacy of Sym.That sentiment was echoed by Consul General Arlene Magno. She said the showcase of Filipino talent brings honor not just to Sym, but also to the whole Filipino community.&quot;It shows Canadians that Filipinos are really talented,&quot; said Magno. &quot;It’s also a sign of unity because the Dimasalang artists, they come together as a group to show solidarity in the work of art.&quot;Ronel Mendoza, the fifth child of Sym, said he is grateful for the tribute and believes his father would be proud of his Dimasalang III artists.The exhibit at the Anvil Arts Centre in New Westminster will run until May 29/

The legacy of the late Filipino master painter Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza is remembered in an exhibit in British Columbia.