Juerg Casserini: Beauty In The Broken

MANILA, Philippines — Retired diplomat Juerg Casserini has been pursuing a lifelong passion for art at his studio in Bohol, where he found himself fascinated by broken bangka parts that washed ashore.

“My father was a celebrity Swiss lithographer during his time and I was constantly surrounded by visual art during my growing years, with many well-known Swiss and foreign artists,” Casserini tells STARweek.

The young Casserini grew up in the family’s lithography and offset printing company, where both his father and grandfather worked. The shop was frequented by several artists who had a great influence on Casserini and his interest in art.

Born and educated in Thun, Switzerland, Casserini became a consular and diplomatic representative for the Swiss government, a career which took him all over the world with posts in Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, France, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic, USA, Venezuela, and finally the Philippines.

“During my professional life I was very much involved in cultural activities,” says Casserini. He brought his passion for art everywhere he went.

Casserini collects pieces of destroyed bangka wood that wash up on shore, cleans them thoroughly, and lets them dry to bring out the pieces’ original vibrant colors.

At his various posts, he organized art exhibitions and cultural events, and even worked with Australia-based Swiss sculptor Ulric Steiner when Casserini was consul general in Sydney.

When Casserini retired from his assignment as deputy head of mission at the Swiss embassy in Manila in 2013, he relocated to Bohol with his wife Hilde.

“I had a friend in Bohol and we decided to retire in the Philippines because we have friends here and we are well-established here,” the diplomat-artist says. “At the moment I can say I am very, very happy in this beautiful country.”

Along the beaches of Bohol, Casserini noticed broken boat pieces often washing up on shore.

“I was touched by the many colorful wooden parts of broken bangkas. I started to collect the colorful pieces. I had in mind to bring the broken bangkas back to life again, in a different way, and create not only a beautiful artwork, put also to pay tribute to the Philippine fisherman,” he explains.

“I had the idea to give something back to the fisherfolk. The fisherfolk have a difficult life,” he reflects, noting that the broken boat pieces are often a result of typhoons or rough times at sea.

“Why not give something back – not floating but as some kind of artwork. I want to give something back that is enjoyable.”

Casserini collects the wooden pieces, washes and cleans them, then lets them dry.

He is very particular about the fact that he does not repaint or restore the broken bangka pieces, paying tribute to the wooden pieces’ personality. “All the pieces are carefully kept natural as discovered and collected on many beaches and shores,” Casserini says.

He adds, “The colors are really wonderful and bright. I only clean very carefully the pieces. When they are dry, I put the colors together. I just use them as I find them.”

In his art pieces, Casserini gives the pieces of broken boat a new life. “Each bangka has its own character and individuality,” he notes.

Somehow, the artist is able to capture each pieces’ personality, each story of a bangka’s journey at sea before washing up on shore.

The wood pieces are unified by vibrant colors, giving the old pieces of wood a modern vibe. Casserini’s art is sculptural, but evokes the movement of the waves as well.

“I am very much inspired by natural material... I try to experiment to perfect my technique using natural objects and the inspiration of visual art,” he says.

Through his work, Casserini is able to see beauty amid destruction and give ruins a new life – keeping the spirit of the bangka afloat in a colorful homage to the power of the sea and the fisherfolk of the Philippines.