Dreams in Dust

Leading Visions in Pastel

About the Exhibit
By Grandier Bella

Isang malaking karangalan ang makaharap kayo ngayong hapon para sa pagbubukas ng Dreams in Dust: Leading Visions in Pastel exhibit. Hindi lamang ito isang eksibit na patungkol sa sining, ito ay isang paglalakbay sa alaala, damdamin, at imahinasyon, gamit ang isang medium na madalas hindi nabibigyan ng sapat na pansin: pastel. The title itself, “Dreams in Dust,” is both poetic and poignant. It gestures toward the ephemeral quality of pastel. Yet within this fragility lies strength: the artists’ visions are bold, their techniques refined, their narratives deeply rooted in Filipino experience and sensibility.

Pastel is a medium of softness and immediacy. Unlike oil or acrylic, or even watercolor, pastel pigments rest directly on the surface, creating a velvety texture that feels both tactile and transient. Sa pastel, ang kulay ay hindi nakatago sa likod ng makapal na pintura— ito ay nakalantad, humihinga, at dumadampi sa papel na parang haplos ng alaala. It invites a quiet intimacy, a sense of nostalgia, and emotional depth that few other mediums can match.

Sa panahon kung kailan ang maraming eksibit ay nakatuon sa abstraction, o pagiging makabago, avante garde, o digital innovation, ang Dreams in Dust ay bumabalik sa pinakapayak na anyo ng sining… ang paggamit ng alabok… pastel… katuwang ang kumpas ng kamay, at ang alon ng damdamin ng isang alagad ng sining. The works here are grounded in Filipino life: ang katahimikan ng probinsya, ang init ng lungsod, ang ganda ng kalikasan, at ang lalim ng tradisyon. Each piece is a meditation on how pastel—fragile yet luminous—can carry the weight of dreams.

Ngayong hapon, ipinagmamalaki nating ipakita ang mga obra ng labintatlong natatanging alagad ng sining ng Philippine Pastel Artists, a collective renowned for elevating pastel from medium to movement: Marj Sula-Aquino, Yolanda Batara, Nell Belgado, Sheila Quisumbing-Bondoc, Tessa Punzalan-Brodeth, Roland Castro, Karlo Domingo, Johanna Jacob, Alvin Montano, Glenn Perez, Roberto Martin Sing, Iris Babao-Uy, and yours truly, Grandier Bella. The works range from intimate still lifes to botanical elegance, from urban vignettes to spiritual quietude. Sa bawat obra, sa bawat kulay, naroon ang puso ng pagka-Filipino… mapagmasid, malikhain, at marangal.

What sets this exhibit apart is its emotional resonance. Hindi lamang ito tungkol sa kagandahan ng anyo, kundi sa lalim ng damdamin. As you walk through the gallery, you are invited not just to observe, but to feel. Damhin ninyo ang lumbay, tuwa, alaala, at pag-asa. And in every stroke, there is a shared reverence—for the medium, for the muse, and for the act of creation itself. Witness how pastel becomes a powerful medium of storytelling and soul.

In closing, I invite you to linger, to let the works speak to you. Huwag lamang tumingin, kundi makinig, madama, magnilay, to celebrate the artistry, the heritage, and the humanity that Dreams in Dust so beautifully embodies. This exhibit is a collective dream, a testament to what Filipino artistry can achieve when tradition meets innovation, and when pigment… pastel… dust, meets the soul.