Karumata, an experience of love for art that binds

Jericho Valjusto Vamenta and Michelle Hollanes Lua, longtime

partners and artists in Cagayan de Oro City, in an interview with

the Philippine Information Agency-10, built a house for creatives

called Karumata, where it caters to a lot of various activities such

as poetry reading, movie marathons, pictorials,video production,

and music videos. (Photo by DCC)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - “Karumata is the experience,” said Jericho Valjusto Vamenta, describing the house that he built with Michelle Hollanes Lua, his long-time partner, as a venue for artists that yearn for expression, such as in filmmaking, painting, sculpting, and most often, in music. 

    It is one-of-a-kind in Cagayan de Oro City, with a collection of books ranging from art, history, and the Renaissance to paintings and art installations that depict folklore and mythical creatures to sculptures of animals, making the home a truly unique expression and experience. 

    What makes it even more special? It is the people who gather, as well as the artists, who make it a place of unity and self-expression. In fact, the most recent international artist to perform in Karumata was a Japanese musician, Ryosuke Kiyasu. 

    Vamenta and Lua have been together for 19 years. “Our binding force is art. So, we do our art together,” said Vamenta. 

    For the couple, it is all about art. “Art is my purpose,” he said, where life is not just about survival but doing something to inspire others. “If you are like us, who were given the ability to paint, draw, and sculpt, our purpose is to maximize our ability,” he shared. Art may be a gift, but it can also be a curse, lamented Lua. “It’s not that easy to be an artist,” Lua explained, “You are always ready to be broke!” 

    Anyone who is an artist must have patience, determination, and be brave enough to stand and make their art. 

    “My art, if you can see, is made out of fiberglass cast, and everything else is made from the most available materials in this world, which is garbage,” said Lua. 

    She collects metal beads from bags and shoes from flea markets, surplus, and junk shops, and then forms another kind of work with more creative value. Lua is proud to recycle. 

    The bigger purpose is to re-invent Philippine folklore, particularly the mythical creatures.  “It’s very important that we are able to preserve our folklore because it is a reflection of our past and our history,” she said.

    Lua added that understanding folklore also defines one's identity. She described the Sigbin and Baboy Bakya, among others, as "the creatures that taught us when we were kids." 

Awards for art 

Karumata in Cagayan de Oro City houses sculptures and
paintings made by longtime partners, Jericho Valjusto
Vamenta and Michelle Hollanes Lua. (Photo by DCC)

 Vamenta has won several awards. “My works are usually figurative. I am into gender issues and social realism,” he said. 

    In 2011, Vamenta was an awardee in a national contest dubbed the Metrobank Art and Design Competition for Excellence. In 2012, he won the grand prize at the Philippine Art Awards hosted by the National Museum of the Philippines. His work is about gender, as well as social issues. The title of his Metrobank painting is “Si Misis Eden Maleta sa buhay ni Tatang Danilo,” where the woman is working and the man is staying at home. 

    “So, the people call the man staying at home Mang Danilo, because he has no work, the houseband. The woman, who is working in the office, is called Misis Eden Maleta. So those were the double standards,” Vamenta said.  

    Meanwhile, "Ang Walang Humpay na Harana ni Temyo kay Magda," a painting about lovers fighting and coming back together, won the grand prize at the Philippine Art Awards, hosted by the National Museum of the Philippines. 

Karumata explained

    Karumata was established 18 years ago, in 2006. It became an art hub for artists here, musicians, writers, and everybody who is into creatives. “Karumata, kanang ligid sa cart. Pirmi ga-progress. Like workers, then murag mga kalabaw gihapon siguro mi mutrabaho,” Lua said.

    (Karumata is the wheel of the cart. It is always in progress. Like workers, then we also probably work like carabaos)

    Eventually, they transferred to Manila, and every time they transferred, they called their house Karumata.

    The house caters to a lot of various activities, such as poetry reading, movie marathons, pictorials, video production, and music videos, among others. "So we cater to anything related to the arts. And I think we cater to culture,” Vamenta said. Every time there are visitors from Manila, Cebu, or Davao, they come here, added Lua.  

    “So, we made it ourselves. So that’s what makes it special,” said Vamenta about how they built and designed the house slowly but surely. 

    “Ang pinaka-important (the most important) is the house; the people who are going here create good energy, artistic energy. Artist friends come here to have activities, even birthdays for friends,” he added. Vamenta further added that art is important because it is a means of expressing one's self and a beacon for creating culture. 

    “If you want something to be established in your time, art is doing it for you—your fashion, your music. All of those are art. So it defines your existence,” he said. 

    Art also reflects society. “So, whatever happens in society, art mirrors it, mu-reflect siya. So, magbag-o bag-o ang art depende sa time. So ang interest karon sa tao ug sa una lahi man gud (it will reflect. Art changes depending on the time. The interest of people before is different from today),” he explained. 

Evolution of art

    In the 1970s, abstract and stylized art was the predominant art form or movement. However, Vamenta noted that the availability of images through the internet has led to a return to realism, specifically pop-surrealism, with the emergence of numerous realistic and figurative painters in today's world. 

    Lua won’t stop experimenting to explore being a mixed media artist. She advises aspiring artists to be imaginative, patient, and focused. “If you really love what you are doing and it is very important to pursue art, then go ahead,” she said. 

    As for Vamenta, “Everybody starts when we are young. What will make you succeed is if you do it more and more.” He urged artists to practice, elevate themselves by doing some research, and expose themselves to other activities as well. 

    “Your art will grow if you water it. So, make sure you think about it all the time,” he added. (Jasper Marie O. Rucat)