TV, film makeup artist wins Globe Telecom’s ImaginART competition

MANILA, Philippines - Leo Velasco, a professional special effects makeup artist for film and television, recently won Globe Telecom’s ImaginART, a unique art competition for exhibition proposal.

Besting 55 other entries, Velasco, 25, bagged P500,000 in prize money and up to P500,000 in exhibition grant.

Simply titled “I…”, Velasco’s art proposal is an exploration on the impact of journey on self-formation. The subjects themselves are travelers, who have journeyed through many countries and are living witnesses to the disparity in cultural practices, beliefs, traditions and norms. The subjects are members of Couchsurfing.org, an online community that brings together travelers from all over the globe through the shared experience of hosting and meet-ups and encourages cross-cultural immersion.

“ImaginART is a very unique art competition and it is only fitting that a very distinct art concept is the first winner of the annual contest. We believe the finished artwork will inspire future exploration and innovation which the company encourages strongly,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Corporate Communications head.

Through body painting, the artwork seeks to document the personal experiences of each traveler as it also seeks to express how these experiences shaped and changed their identity.

Pointing out that people in various cultures mark their bodies with signs of individuality, social status and cultural identity, Velasco explained he opted to use body painting as the primary method of expression of the experiences and personal changes that each traveler underwent because of its temporary nature.

“Like permanent tattoos, body painting is obviously temporary, which only properly reflects the ever-changing state of one’s identity. The images that I will create and paint on their bodies will serve as juxtaposed representations of personal experiences, reflections and recollections of the traveler,“ he said.

Because of the temporary nature of body painting, Velasco will be capturing the transient art in digital still photography. “I also want to capture the identity of the subject in its present state before the person undergoes yet another personal transformation,” he said.

The photos will be printed on duratrans or light boxes, which will be encased in shaped-acrylic glass capsules.  “For me, the acrylic glass capsules metaphorically represent the human body as the corporeal embodiment of identity and would also represent images of travel such as trolley, backpack, suitcase and airplane,” he said.

Velasco emphasized that the finished artwork is not merely a themed showcase, it is also a practice of discovery. “Just as each participant traveled and journeyed to define their personhood, I, too, will undergo the same process of transformation and transfiguration as I work on each layer of the artwork in order to present an accurate depiction of the backpackers’ experiences,” he added.

Prior to winning the art competition, Velasco has worked for major television networks in the country doing local fantasy television series and firms. Velasco, 25, took up Fine Art at the University of the Philippines.

Velasco’s artwork will be displayed at The Globe Art Gallery on Sept. 17 up to April next year and will be installed by the Ayala Museum, with the artist.

ImaginART, which was launched in May this year, generated strong support from the local art community as a total of 55 exhibition proposals were submitted as entries. With this year’s theme, “A Journey Through A Wonderful World”, the exhibition aims to transport the viewers into a world of boundless possibility.