WarayArtist: Leo M. Villaflor

(This feature contains paraphrased copy, reproduced with permission, from the artist’s official portfolio. All rights reserved – no portion of this article or the images in it may be reproduced or published without express written permission from their respective copyright owners.)

One of the 100 artists the Philippines has produced over the past 100 years – that’s the notable Waray-waray tuba painter, Leo M. Villaflor.

Name: Leovigildo M. Villaflor
Media: tuba, soot, squid ink, tree bark, feathers, seashells, palm leaves, terra cotta and an ever-expanding array of other indigenous materials
Address: San Jose, Tacloban City
Affiliations: +63 (053) 523-1341

Leo Villaflor was born on August 22, 1942 in the town of Capoocan, Leyte. Having pursued a marketing career until the late 1970’s, Villaflor eventually decided to focus on “his first love” – art.

Villaflor is one of the most notable Waray artists today, standing out mainly because of his quest for that Filipino uniqueness in his artworks. His first media exposure was in a local article published on February 28, 1997. Leo has since been featured in numerous publications and has appeared on national television.

In 1998, he was chosen as one of the artists for the exhibition “100 Years, 100 Artists – An Expression of the Filipino Soul”, organized by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. This art exhibit was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines as one of the highlights of the Philippine Centennial Celebration.

Arising from his passionate pursuit for a truly Filipino style (and also because of the prohibitive cost of traditional, Western painting media), Villaflor is known for his use of indigenous materials in his works. He is most famous for his use of “tuba” – local palm wine. He actually uses tan bark (“barok”) the colorant used in the manufacture of the wine. WarayClub asked him how he was certain that his tuba pieces will last and not fade with time – and he gave a very practical answer: every Waray-waray knows that tuba stains on clothing and even concrete are lifetime stains. From this simple ‘fact of Waray life’, he is confident that his works are light-fast.

He has experimented with soot and squid ink for black coloring needs, and dried tobacco leaves for shades of brown. He has also tried using tree bark, shells of cooked crabs, dried scales of fish, seashells, bamboo, coconut sheath, palm leaves, and recently, feathers of fowl.

feather painting

“One of the ways by which we can establish our own Filipino identity is through the use of indigenous materials,” says the self-taught artist. Indeed, his quest for uniqueness has paid off with a one-man exhibit to be held this May 2010 in Rotorua, New Zealand. He has been sponsored by the RAVE Art Gallery and the Philippine Embassy in New Zealand after he impressed his audience at a speaking engagement that Villaflor conducted at a local university there late last year.

Villaflor’s paintings adorn many walls both locally and abroad – government offices, restaurants, coffee shops, and homes of prominent people such as Imelda Marcos. He has also been commissioned to create artworks for companies such as Merrell Footwear and Mercury Drug.

Villaflor is currently busy preparing for his New Zealand exhibit, but he finds time to sit down and chat with eager Warays who want to know more about his incredible art. He lives a balanced life – with an everyday reality of a husband and father who manages to enjoy his vast expanse of books and magazines, good music and good food.

If you are interested in his artwork, Villaflor may be contacted by phone at +63 053 523 1341, or you can drop by his home in San Jose, Tacloban City.

watercolor on paper

tuba on canvas

soaked “barok” – tan bark used as the colorant of tuba

Villaflor with his most recent pieces

some of Villaflor’s books

artist and family man – Leo Villaflor with his wife and 9 children

sneak preview – a commissioned feather painting for his New Zealand exhibit

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