Pagtilingub: Himbon artists come together for 6th year show

PAGTILINGUB of Himbon artists is a 6th anniversary celebration exhibit that will feature the works of 28 members at SM City Iloilo on September 25, 2023.

We are bringing you our very own anniversary pieces, said the group of the collection, with a unified theme that reminisces about the creative work that they have attained in the last six years and which has strengthened camaraderie and community building.

Pagtilingub means coming together or togetherness in Hiligaynon, and the title describes the character of Himbon as an artist group known for its inclusivity amidst diversity. Pagtilingub of Himbon artists is a major show for this year.

A look back at Himbon

In September 2017, four artists, Marrz Capanang, Vic Fario, Harry Mark Gonzales, and Gina Apostol, convened to form Himbon after two years of conceptualization. Its formation was in response to the challenge of the times, especially the difficulty of both professional and emerging artists to bring works of art to a larger audience in spite of the growing number of galleries across the metropolis.

Its formation came to fruition through the encouragement and guidance of Iloilo’s respected artists, Ed Defensor and artist-academic Martin Genodepa, the director of the University of the Philippines Visayas’ Office of Initiatives for Culture and the Arts (UPV-OICA), the office that manages the UP Visayas Museum for Art and Cultural Heritage.

Also read: Himbon Contemporary Artists Group marks 5 years

Its aspiration to bring Ilonggo works of art to the public was realized through a partnership with SM City Iloilo, facilitated by Troy Camarista, the mall giant’s public relations officer and local champion for the arts, giving Himbon the headway to show artworks, including offering Molo Mansion as an extension gallery.

The Molo Mansion was restored for adaptive reuse in 2015, and its second-floor became an art space for exhibits and arts talks by Himbon artists, especially its partnership project with the Eskinita Art Gallery by renowned social realist Alfredo Esquillo, Jr., and also social realist artist Renato Habulan through a series of exhibits titled Bayluhanay, which brought works of artists from other regions to Iloilo.

Himbon gradually became the melting pot of multi-disciplinary artists and award-winning artists, with painters, sculptors, musicians, literary writers, animinators, and digital artists becoming part of its roster of members.

Some of its members have combined art making into their vocations as designers, architects, art curators, draftsmen, printmakers, furniture makers, educators, community servants, public intellectuals, activists, service industry professionals, lawyers, and health frontliners.

Hence, Himbon became known as the largest art group in Panay and Guimaras.