The 3rd National Digital Arts Awards launches under the theme #DigitalPinoyAko

It was a fun and energetic evening last August 7, 2015 at the 500 Shaw Zentrum Events Pavilion as Globaltronics officially launched the National Digital Arts Awards 2015 under the theme #DigitalPinoyAko. 





Hundreds of guests joined the kick-off party including student participants of the awards, digital arts enthusiasts, corporate sponsors, school representatives, and media partners.

The event featured three of the top disk jockeys in the country who performed in the night of energy and excitement; 

DJ Tom Taus

DJ Jet Boado

DJ Callum David

Aside from the upbeat music and spectacle lights, the event also had open bar for everyone in celebration of the continuing rise of the digital arts in the country. All the guests were treated to a programme of exciting entertainment and surprises.

The National Digital Arts Awards 2015 are now open for submission of entries for digital print and motion graphics category for all interested Filipino senior high school, college, and technical-vocational students nationwide with the age of 16 to 26 years old. The over-all theme for this year is #DigitalPinoyAko, a nationalistic topic on how Filipino youth will interpret the Philippines as a country that continues to rise with the help of digital technology. All participants for the new edition of the awards are expected to create works that show the integration of technology and rich visual media as an integral to nation-building, instilling nationalism in every Filipino, and how moving forward, our young people can influence culture using positive values towards affirmative change.

The awards will also be judged by prestigious line up from creative and advertising industry. ; Leeroy New, an award-winning visual artist and production designer;  Nicolo Nimor, art director and owner of Nick Automatic Clothing; Chitchat Diangson, Creative Director of David Integrated Marketing Communications Phil.; Brandie Tan, Executive Creative Director of Jimenezbasic Advertising; Sid Maderazo, TVC director of 88 Storey Films; Dolps Fernando, post-production head of PostManila; Andre Cui, Creative Director of Fluid Communications; Benedick Bana, freelance graphic artist and chairperson of Dept. of Digital Arts and Comp. Animation, Ateneo de Naga University; Edwin Ortega, Creative director of Grupo Agatep; and Jay Dustin Santiago, Creative Director of ABS-CBN Global Marketing Services (TFC).

 The National Digital Arts Awards 2015 #DigitalPinoyAko’s deadline of submission of entries will be on October 16, 2015. Awards Night will be held on January 15, 2015 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila. Aspiring participants can download the full mechanics at their official website, .http://ndaa.globaltronics.net/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NDAAPhilippines
Twitter:  NDAAPhilippines

NDAA2015 Launch Party

Get ready as Globaltronics, Inc., the team behind the National Digital Arts Awards, brings you the NDAA2015 Launch Party!

Dance and party all night on August 7, 2015, 8 pm at 500 Shaw Events Pavilion, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City.

Featuring the hottest DJs in the country.

DJ Jet Boado

DJ Callum David

DJ Tom Taus

Get your tickets now for only P150 each with unlimited drinks and get a chance to win exciting prizes! Call 721- 2878 (regular office hours) or contact Lea at 0905 -9113514 for reservations.

#CheersToDigitalArts!

This event is co-presented by Resorts World Manila.

National Digital Arts Awards 2015 #DigitalPinoyAko Call for Entries

CALLING ALL FILIPINO STUDENT DIGITAL ARTISTS!

On its 3rd year, the National Digital Arts Awards 2015 launches as a purely student awards. The NDAA2015 will have two award categories, print and motion graphics. With the theme ‪#‎DigitalPinoyAko‬, Globaltronics, Inc. and NDAA2015 invites everyone to take part in this nationwide campaign that celebrates the beauty of digital art and highlights a country that embraces innovation.

For the full mechanics, visit the NDAA2015 website:http://ndaa.globaltronics.net/

For updates, follow NDAAPhilippines Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDAAPhilippines

and Instagram: https://instagram.com/ndaaphilippines/

Up to P 1Million cash and prizes to be given to deserving student artists nationwide and the opportunity to be part of the NDAA Winners Circle.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. It's time to take the big leap. Deadline of entry is on October 16, 2015. Join now!

‪#‎NDAA2015‬

Manhid the Musical

Manhid the Musical

As a theater enthusiast, I watched Manhid the Musical at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater. At first, I don’t have a clear idea of what would be the storyline. By knowing their tagline “Pinoy Superhero Musical” and by looking at their poster, I assumed that it would be like a Marvel Comics or DC Comics kind of plot. The musical was produced by the Ballet Philippines, one of the leading ballet company in the country. Without any doubt, I expected that the show will be filled with dance numbers. I also thought that the musical would be primarily watched by children since most of them are superhero fans. It turned out that the musical was Rated-13 and it piqued my curiosity as to what would be the content of the musical.

I attended the last staging on March 8, 6 pm. The show had a good number of viewers. I was fortunate that there were still available seats at the Balcony II of the theater. My seat was not as conducive as I wished because my location was on the upper part of the theater.

Before the show started, I read the playbill to have an idea about the show. It was an original Filipino Musical and it was first staged back in the year 1991. Written by Aureaus Solito and performed by UP Tropa Experimental Theater student artists, this musical was staged for people empowerment during that time. It was created for the protest against Filipinos who were apathetic to certain civic issues of the country. This production of Ballet Philippines was the third re-staging after 24 years and this was for the commemoration of the EDSA People Revolution.

Manhid was about the future of the Philippines if there will be no uprising to happen. The characters are called the “Children of Protest” who were named after the great heroes of Filipino epics. They have special powers, just like any other kind of superheroes, and they will use these to fight against the antagonist Mamalahi-ma, the Minister of Humanity.  But the children of Protest” was divided into two; the “Maragtas” were the good heroes, and the “Tulisan ng Bayan” were the evil ones and they were on the side of the Minster of Humanity. Mamalahi-ma’s mission was to kill the “Maragtas” so that she can rule the whole country without any interruption. A battle between the two rival groups climaxes the story surviving only the strongest and the powerful. At the end, the wicked Mamalahi-ma was killed by the good heroes of the musical. The triumph was still dependent to the people. The freedom was given to them whether they will become indifferent or they will be proactive citizens of the country.

Relating it to EDSA revolution, Mamalahi-ma represents the dictator Marcos, the Maragtas were the activists, and the Tulisan ng Bayan were the loyalist armed soldiers of Marcos during the Martial Law regime.

Curtains up

I am expecting many things in Manhid. I watched it because I want to see if there were developments in Pinoy musicals when it comes to production and stage design. Regarding the story plot, indeed it was moving and affecting. But I want to see if the theater techniques and the over-all production of the musical were effective in bringing the message to the viewers.

During the first act, there were many things happening on the stage: dancing ensembles, projected visuals at the back drop, and the rock music, making the whole number as chaotic as you can imagine. It captured the image of a disturbed society where everyone was apathetic on what was happening. But the technique of the stage design was not effective in putting up the whole production, hence making the scene confusing. There were no focal points on the stage, and just like reading comic strips, sometimes your eyes will be drawn into different parts of the page, or you might read a dialog in a balloon that shouldn’t be read first. Same with this musical, the visual contents were overflowing that the spotlighted acts were not noticed during the performance. In addition, the rock band music was overpowering that the singing lines of the characters were not clear to be heard.

 One the other hand, the music and score rocked the whole musical. 

The gracefulness of ballet dance and the toughness of rock music was a great tandem in the performances. Despite the weak spots of the musical, still the show was a mark in the hearts and mind of all the viewers because of its universal message of sacrifice and freedom. 

AN PROFETA Khalil Gibran

Book Launching event: AN PROFETA Khalil Gibran, SEPT. 10, 2013, Arrupe Convention Center, Ateneo de Naga University, Philippines
Translated in Bikol by Fr. Wilmer Tria
Illustrations by Berns Bijuega

Twin (2013)

Twin (2013)

acrylic and oil on canvas

40x50 cm

Berns Brijuega

It's More F.A.N. Arts Exhibit

 Burikbutikan Artists Collective has been organizing Arts Exhibits not just to promote Bikol arts but also to help bikolano artists for their advocates and passion using their mediums. This month, the local group features 3 artists of the region, Frank Penones, Jr., Alden Velasquez, and Nona Beltran.

The opening was held at the group's base, Arte des Cafes in San Nicolas, Baao, Camarines Sur. The president of the group and the beautiful owner of the art place, Ms. Bernadette De Los Santos, opened the event.

 'Bidibidi' Delos Santos

Frank Penones, Jr. is renowned as a Bikolano writer. But this exhibit also shows his other interest in the realm of art, making masterpiece out of ingenious and scrap materials he found anywhere.

 Frank Penones, Jr.

 It is my first time to meet Alden Velasquez, a painter from Nabua, Camarines Sur. He features his abstraction series explaining what he views with his life. He is also a figurative painter.

 Alden Velasquez

Some of the works of Alden Velasquez

Frank Penones Jr.'s 'social folkloric' arts

Unfortunately, I was not able to meet Nona Beltran. Her artworks are still life and figurative paintings.

It's More F.A.N. Arts Exhibit is a month-long show. Visit Cafe des Artes, Baao to see what these 3 bikolano visual artists can offer.



Berns Brijuega
June 17, 2013

May

'May'
acrylic on 57x75 cm canvas
2013

Tuyo

"Tuyo" (dried fish) 2013
27x38cm

watercolor

Berns Brijuega

Power Hug

'Power Hug'

27x38 cm

watercolor

'Malunggay ang Ulam Mamaya'

"Malunggay ang Ulam Mamaya"
37x38cm

watercolor

B.A.D. - A visual arts exhibit

B.A.D. boys. "young Bikolano artists" as they say.

In celebration of February as National Arts Month, we opened a visual arts exhibit featuring my oil and acrylic paintings, Panch Alvarez' doodles and mix media arts and Fadi Ghaleeb Diaz' photographs.

This is my first collaborative-exhibit with two young artists of Bicol. This is a move to refresh the spirit of arts and culture in the region.

 The BAD boys of bikolano arts; Panch Alvarez, Fadi Ghaleeb Diaz, and yours truly, Berns Brijuega.

 I personally thank Kristian Cordero, a bikolano poet and award-winning writer, for discovering my pieces and passion in the arts. He is the backbone of this event, introducing us to some of the great local artists and writers of the region such as 'Bidibidi' de los Santos, Fr. Nonie Bancaso, Al Oliva, Frank Penones Jr., and Ms. Doods Santos.

As a hobbiest, my aim was only to paint for the sake of blogging it. It is still an exhibition of my arts online, in a more modern way. But there is always the need for the real arts interaction, a more personal viewing and sharing my artworks to public. 10 of my works are exhibited in the event, and these are sentimental artworks because these are my first great works as a developing painter.

Our generation has lots to offer in the arena of the arts. We can still contribute for the growth of our own culture and rich traditions. I always believe that art is the food of our soul. As the youngsters of our community, we have these fresh and creative ingredients to cook the meal for the sake of our people. In time, our foods will be part of the great menu that would change the world for the better through the arts.

The exhibit was held at Cafe de Artes, Villa Esperanza, San Nicolas, Baao, CamSur. It was a month-long exhibition and opened to the public for viewing. | photo credits Bernadette "Bidibidi" de los Santos and Fadi Ghaleeb Diaz

Nagsisinarom

Nagsisinarom (Twilight)

palette knife painting

oil on canvas 12x18'

This is my second palette knife painting next to Kaguw. I was inspired by Lion King's Circle of Life and this is my version of it. 

2012 Belen

This is our nativity set for this year's Christmas. Same set, yet different design.

The main theme is cathedral windows.

The background is made out of picture frame stand i found in the house and sticked on it some colored papers to look like a window

 green and red are the main colors to give the scene the Christmas ambiance

Maligayang Pasko!

Kaguw

Kaguw (Itch-scratching)

Oil on canvas

40.5x30 cm

This is my first painting using palette knives.  This painting is a gift for my Humanities mentor and a friend, Sir Kristian Cordero, an award-winning Bikolano contemporary poet and writer.

Another contemporary Bikolano poet, sir Victor Nierva wrote a poem inspired by this painting. I am very gratified that my arts are now being recognized by few Bikolano artists like sir Vic and sir Kristian.


KAGUW NI BRIJUEGA
by Victor Dennis Nierva

Daí ta nanggád masásabútan—

mawáwalat na saná an talbó—

an pagtalikód n’ya sa kinàbán,

an pagrápak kan saíyang siko.

Daí ta man mahuhunà nanggád

an pagmatì kan saíyang kublít:

mayong gùrís, mayò man nin lugad,

mayò man nin pilà na mahúlit.

Ay, hilngá, ta gatól, gatól saná

an satô gabós makákahayag

na an pangkágaw daíng halagá

asín madayà an mga takyág.

Kagáwa saná, kagáwa bayâ,

Sagkód an gatól dagos mawarâ

(English)

Brijuega’s Kagüw

We can never understand—

all that will be left to us is dust—

her turning her back to the world,

the shattering of her elbow.

We can never assume

how her skin does the feeling:

there are no scratches, no wounds,

there are no scars that may suggest.

Oh, look, itch, only itch

can ever declare to us

that the backscratcher is of no use

and that the arms are full of deceit.

Go on, scratch it, and never stop

until the itch is finally gone.

Mirindalan Series

 Biniribid

Oil on canvas 12x12'

 Gina'tan

Oil on canvas 12x12'

 Pancit Bato

Oil on canvas 12x12'

Sinapot

Oil on canvas 12x12'

"Nagibayo"

"Nagibayo" (Rice Pounding)
Berns Brijuega
oil on canvas

14'x10'