VIP Ringside With Borlongan An Artistic Rematch With A Revered Mentor
Elmer Borlongan's 2019 painting, Rematch, formed part of the Sining Kamalig exhibition titled "Noon at Ngayon," a reunion show organized by the Children's Museum and Library, Inc. (CMLI) in 2019. The exhibition gathered the former students of renowned painter and "Father of the Philippine Art Workshop," Fernando Sena.
In the show, Borlongan's Rematch hung side by side (like a mirror reflecting the humble past with the thriving present) with an early work he made when he was only 11. Titled "Bata at Unggoy," the oil pastel on paper work was among Borlongan's first obra maestras.
Borlongan was one of the driving forces behind "Noon at Ngayon" as both a celebration of Sena's 71st birthday and a profound gratitude to a dear mentor who honed his virtuoso as a child. Sena, who grew up in an underprivileged family from Tondo, had art running in his blood since he was a little boy. Fate smiled gently upon him when he joined a free art workshop at the CMLI, which gave him a much-needed scholarship to pursue painting at the University of the East. After graduating in 1971, Sena dedicated the succeeding years as a volunteer teacher for CMLI, where he would fortuitously meet an 11-year-old Elmer Borlongan in 1978.
At 11, Borlongan came under Sena's wings, who had become a respected art mentor by then. This chance encounter was all thanks to Borlongan's aunt, Fely. (Sena was planning to court Fely then, so he gave slots to Borlongan and two of his cousins whom Fely sent for art workshops at the CMLI in Quezon City.)
Borlongan attended Sena's classes like a Sunday worship service; he patiently commuted from Mandaluyong to Quezon City and was present even at Saturday classes. Sena, recounts Borlongan in the book Elmer Borlongan: An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Life, would also take his students on plein-air painting excursions within Metro Manila.
At the CMLI, Borlongan would not only become Sena's diligent student but also his reliable assistant. In exchange for free tuition, Borlongan would help clean the classroom (he always anticipated this moment since he could have the chance to collect leftover pastels from other students). He would also go with Sena to impoverished areas, such as in Tondo and Novaliches, to give free art lessons. Borlongan also recounted how Sena would always provide him with art materials, including old posters taken from the CMLI office, on which the budding artist would draw and paint at its back portion. Borlongan confesses that he still has those posterscum - early works to this day.
A gentle soul even in his childhood, Borlongan, at 12 years of age, would also give art lessons every Sunday to fellow children in his neighborhood at Nueve de Febrero in Mandaluyong. "I would memorize Mr. Sena's lessons on Saturday, then the following day, I would gather five of our neighbors in a small room in our house," Borlongan says in a 2019 ANCX interview. "I would set up visual aids, a blackboard, and still life and imitate how Mr. Sena teaches. I also allowed them to use my extra art materials."
Sena taught Borlongan the value of keeping even his most imperfect artworks, saying that they are part and parcel of one's journey towards development. But even then, Sena had always praised Borlongan's creative prowess (he still does at present).
While the subject of Rematch evokes the enduring popularity of boxing in the Philippines and the entertainment it gives to audiences, the work resonates even more with Borlongan and Sena's bond. It is a friendly 'rematch' with his great mentor; an encounter with his younger self; reliving the splendor of youth; a reconnection with old friends; a loving tribute to Sena. Rematch has become a loving language of giving back, and Borlongan embodies it by assisting Sena in his classes, even in recent years. Sena also recalls that Borlongan assisted his children in their schooling needs as a form of gratitude for the mentor's enduring impact on the now-successful painter.
Casa San Miguel, Borlongan and wife Plet's creative residence in San Antonio, Zambales, serves as an idyllic center for workshops and development in the various fields of the arts, paralleling that of Sena's legacy of mentorship.
For Borlongan, art is a blessing meant to be imparted to others. As such, he always remembers Mr. Sena's words: "Art can be learned, and whatever that can be learned can be shared with others." (Adrian Maranan)
Provenance: Sining Kamalig
Exhibited: Sining Kamalig, Noon at Ngayon: CMLI (Children’s Museum & Library, Inc.)
Reunion Show, Quezon City, 19 March - 17 April 2019