Wonders of Woodcarving
“Bakit
po baticuling?” I asked inquisitively.
“Baticuling
kasi, soft wood,” he replied proudly. “Panahon pa ng Kastila natuklasan
na di madaling anayin ang kahoy na ito, century wood din and tawag dito.”
I
was looking for souvenirs in an alleyway in Paete when I noticed two
men carving a miniature woodcarving of a
kalabaw. Immediately, my classmates and I approached and gathered
to look how delicately the apprentice shape and shave the wood. The
masterpiece was patterned from an image of a
kalabaw carrying father and son in its back. The artworks\ was
almost done seeing its refined curves and full dimension. The miniature
people on the kalabaw seem to be enjoying a day’s work riding. There
was a meticulous carving of a banana bunch loaded by the father figure.
A
plump man wearing sando and jeans short welcomed us. He invited us to
see his other works in a “museum”. He introduced himself as the owner
of the shop. He was Mr. Luis Ac-Ac and we were surprised that he also
was a UP Diliman Fine Arts student before but dropped out due to financial
inadequacy.
The
shadowy storeroom showcases several impressive woodcarvings, which portrayed
religious images and typical barrio scenes. At the corner stood a figure
of a fearless katipunero raising his bolo and pistol. Beside
it rest a candid scene of two children clutching the lower limbs of
their father. Another still figure was a picture of children riding
playfully above their father’s back. Other woodcarvings were a diorama
of The Last Supper, Sto.Nino, and Mother of Christ. He uses the wood
from baticuling, molave and if lucky narra.
Ac-Ac
revealed that he learned his talents from the elders of the town whom
had inherited the skill of woodcarving from their Spanish descendants.
He started carving at age 12 in 1978. He was usually carving religious
figures but shifted to family and barrio scenes. He said that he was
inspired to the concept of Filipino family that remained undivided amidst
frequent storms of struggles. He dedicated his works immortalizing the
values and traditions of the locals and natives. His sculptures and
also paintings reflect the idea of family ties and hospitality as a
formidable Filipino pride.
