Jose Ehric Egualada

I create art because I'm an artist. Art is my way of life, expression, passion, and a piece of my soul. I come from an artistic and creative community of Angono, Rizal, with a high appreciation of art and music. Our hometown is a center of the arts. We have produced two National Artists: Botong Francisco for visual arts and Lucio San Pedro for music. We are the grandchildren of these two art giants. The legacy we have inherited from our ancestors also still lives in us.

My artworks speak for myself, my influences, skills, expressions, and impressions. These outputs came from influence, collaboration, reflection, intuition, imagination, experiment, and exploration. Most of my works are inspired by Filipino values, culture, and environment, rendered in synthetic-modern cubism.

I'm a modern cubist artist with a touch of imaginative figurism. This approach is the process that makes me think creatively and scientifically but free. I use watercolor, acrylic, and oil paints because of their striking color effects and resiliency. I have established this style after a series of sold-out works of mine from my previous solo art exhibit.

My environment and art community have inspired me because we also encourage our art sector by exhibiting our artworks. I choose to highlight Filipino values and culture because they're close to my heart, and I'm delighted to render them on my canvas. I apply color schemes and combinations before I draw. Colors have the power to portray my themes or concepts and come out with my subjects. If I'm using the creative process, it's easy to finish my work at any given time.

Most artists always face financial hardships to procure art and canvas materials and other accessories. If the artist fails to source their art materials, how can they sustain their art? But for me, like in any field, art requires discipline, planning, focus, and determination. To overcome these challenges, I focus on my art style and how it touches the hearts of the Filipino audience—our experiences, games, songs, activities, beliefs, and influences.