A community of about 50 artists began painting Bacolod’s longest mural for the MassKara Festival on Friday, which they are aiming to complete by Sunday, October 13, artist Charlie Co, co-founder of the Orange Project, said.
Co describes himself as the conductor getting the community of artists to work in harmony to tell the story of the MassKara and Bacolod City through their various paintings on a 150-meter wall that forms the perimeter of the historic Hernaez Mansion at the corner of Mabini, Rizal and Galo streets.
The mural will tell the story of how the festival was created to lift the people’s spirits as Bacolod was reeling from a sugar crisis and the sinking of the MV Don Juan after it collided with a fuel tanker in the waters off Romblon on April 22, 1980, where many Negrenses died.
It will also include the famous sacada faces of renowned artist Nunelucio Alvarado, Co said. Sacadas are seasonal workers in the sugar industry.
It will depict the artists role in the festival and in coming up with smiling masks, where the festival is now and how it is envisioned in the future, Co said.
The name MassKara, which means a multitude of faces, was coined by the late artist Ely Santiago, from the word mass, which means a multitude of people, and the Spanish word, cara or face.
The Bacolod Yuhum Foundation, in collaboration with Davies Paints, brought together the artists and volunteers from various organizations to create a mural inspired by the city’s vibrant culture and history as part of the 45th celebration of the MassKara Festival, BYF said in a statement.
“It is a showcase of how our artists see the resilience of our city, how we cope with challenges and create a masterpiece through unity. This is a reflection of our journey that highlights the laborers, sugar workers and the slices of life,” Candy Nagrampa, Project and Executive Director of the Orange Project, said.
Orange Project is a Bacolod-based art hub whose mission is to elevate arts consciousness in Negros.
Davies Paints Corporate Communications Manager, Joann Viriña, said the collaboration also aims to transform a wall owned by former Senator Pedro Conlu Hernaez, which is frequently vandalized, into a stunning canvas that showcases the enduring spirit of Bacolod.
“The property owner wanted a mural and wanted to transform it into a work of art. We created a customized color palette for Bacolod, coloring it in the hues of the city,” she added.
The start of the mural painting was attended by BYF president Kayte Matiling and Board Member Rodney Ascalon. *