Storming Belize with a smile
Bren Bataclan photos
Tourists displayed the paintings they found at the Mayan temples at Lamanai in Belize. Below, Ronnie Neubauer of Minnesota found one of Bren Bataclan's "Smile Belize'' paintings in front of a 13-foot stone mask built for an ancient Mayan king in Lamanai, Belize.
Going to Belize a month before my biggest exhibit ever was an insane idea. However, the trip was planned and paid for before I finalized the exhibit details so there was no choice but to go. It was only till a few hours before boarding the plane that I realize I did need a break from months of painting and planning for my show, "Baha," which means flood in Tagalog, the Philippine language, my native tongue.
My first impression of Belize was that it is very similar to the Philippines -- the subject of my “Baha” exhibit. The homes in Belize look almost identical to the houses that surrounded me while I was a kid in Manila. The weather is also very similar, tropical. The beaches, palm trees, and the warmth of the people also brought back childhood memories. I didn’t plan for this kind of vacation, but this was what I exactly needed for my “Baha” exhibit.
My current exhibit at the Harbor Art Gallery at the University of Massachusetts Boston is about the devastating flood that swept the Philippines last September. I was in the Philippines just a month before the flooding. I wanted to go back to the Philippines right after the typhoon, Ondoy, but I was unable to. Thanks to my Belizean trip, I was able to imagine myself back in the islands. This was very beneficial to my show. It was snowing in Boston after all ...
Initially, my exhibit at the Harbor was going to be about my Smile Project work. For the past seven years, I have been leaving paintings for people to take for free all over the globe. I have given away more than 500 paintings in 30 countries and about half of the states across America. I begged the curator, Steven Pirrillo, to change the theme of my show as soon as Ondoy struck the Philippines. Fortunately, Steven agreed. I felt that painting my fellow countrymen and women as heroic, resilient, and compassionate during this almost insurmountable ordeal was one of the best ways that I could help out as a Filipino American artist. I also planned to donate a portion of my sales to the Philippine flood victims.
Almost half a year had passed since the Philippine flood had happened. I feared my “Baha” exhibit would not be relevant anymore. However, earthquakes in Haiti and Chile happened before and right after my Belizean trip. With this in mind, I decided to not just donate some of the proceeds from my “Baha” painting sales to the Philippines but also to Haiti and Chile.
I didn’t just do painting-related research in Belize, like studying tropical colors to add to my “Baha” paintings while snorkeling. I also gave away paintings in the country. Immediately after touching down, I started leaving paintings all over Belize. The airport was my initial painting drop-off site. A fellow American tourist was the first painting recipient. As soon as we arrived at our gorgeous resort, I anonymously left a painting at their office. It was cool to discover my cartoon-inspired acrylic painting displayed in the office the next day and overhear the staff talking about their found art. My favorite painting drop-off spots were the Mayan temples in Lamanai. It was really fun to see tourists and Belizeans discover my work in such unexpected locations. My paintings truly popped when juxtaposed to the earth color scheme of the temples. I saw three painting recipients talking about the paintings they found near the temples and asked whether I could take a picture of them. In order for me to deal with the sadness of leaving Belize, I left a couple of more paintings at the airport. Surprisingly, the last painting recipient was a fellow Bostonian.
I'll never forget what he told me:
“I picked up a painting left in the Belize City airport! When I saw it, I thought it looked somewhat familiar. After checking your site, I realized that it's because I've seen your stuff here and there in Boston, where I was returning to. Funny, that. Thanks so much for the smile. It helped a bit, at the thought of leaving Belize for Boston.”
My Belizean trip was truly what my artwork and exhibit needed.
To learn how you can contribute to Passport, e-mail Lydia Rebac at lrebac@globe.com
