A strong offering of the Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition & Conference (VIVA ExCon 16) Virtual Conference 2 is the island specials, this one featured Negros Occidental.
It was moderated by Negros Occidental Island Coordinator Moreen Austria who tapped young artists Brandon Braza and Bea Dolloso.
Austria aims to empower art practices by highlighting its profound effects on the younger generation. She expressed her willingness to help and support other artists and emphasized that art has no retirement age and Art District has evolved into a school of life for artists.
Brandon Braza shared that he had stayed committed to the arts ever since he was young, way back when he was starting with calligraphy. He found the community in Bacolod to be very welcoming and said that he felt included and blossomed under a number of collaboration and was glad that everybody in the Bacolod art scene/ community contributed to his development. He is grateful that older artists see potential in young artists.
Braza looks at art as an outlet and a tool for self-expression. Art is not just about beauty, it’s also about pain and sadness, this from an artist who has had 20 to 30 projects, mostly on body types. He is currently focusing on making plans for his art career, he is in search of something unique like a cultural inspiration. He aims to be of help and work at the same time.
Bea Dolloso was exposed to visual arts during childhood. She continued as an Art Association of Bacolod (AAB) member and was candid to express that she looks up to Charlie Co because he made the Art District a free community, a home to a creative like her.
Practicing a lot at home, Bea’s first works included puppets and watercolor paintings. She used doodle art and experimentation as a way to focus on self-improvement. She expresses herself through art by putting emotions to paper or artwork, whether it be music or visual arts.
Dolloso believes in the power of inspiring and motivating people, especially the youth. She knows that it is important to have a sense of generosity and the confidence to follow one’s taste. She aims to constantly learn to create something new and integrate culture into the process. She feels honored to help pave a certain way in the art scene.
The virtual conference was conducted on May 29 but is available online on the website vivaexcon.org.*