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Thursday, February 16, 2023

BPI supports artists and art lovers anew in Art Fair Philippines 2023

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is back at Art Fair Philippines 2023 with more support for artists and art lovers alike.
BPI, a staunch advocate of Philippine Arts, supports visual artists through partnerships and art lovers through the provision of greater access to artworks in art events such as Art Fair Philippines, which is coming back face-to-face from a three-year hiatus.

“As we appreciate the value of artists and their works, we also see the significance of collecting and keeping great artworks, which is why we at BPI continue to provide our support as well to art lovers who, time and time again, visit Art Fair Philippines and acquire valuable artworks,” said Jenelyn Z. Lacerna, the Group Head of BPI Unsecured Lending and Cards, Product and Sales.

Art Fair Philippines 2023, which is happening on February 17-19 at The Link in Ayala Center in Makati City, will feature over 60 exhibitors from the Philippines and overseas as the art exhibition celebrates its 10th year. It is co-presented by BPI and Ayala Land, among other corporate supporters.

To promote art appreciation and further boost the local art scene, BPI offers complimentary access to cardholders of BPI Visa Signature, Platinum Rewards Mastercard, Amore Platinum Cashback, and Gold Mastercard.

“At BPI, we consider keepers of valuable art works as art investors, as the works they acquire become part of their investment portfolio,” Lacerna said.

BPI has been the caretaker of more than 1,000 artworks by many prominent Filipino artists, such as Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, and Ben Cabrera. Most of these art pieces are the country’s finest expressions of Philippine culture and are reflective of BPI’s inherent values.
“The kind of support BPI gives to art lovers provides them greater access to exclusive events such as Art Fair Philippines, which continues to showcase the country’s vibrant local art scene and helps Filipino visual artists generate support and reach a wider audience,” Lacerna added.

BPI affirms its commitment to recognize and nurture the country’s artistry and talent through its participation in events like this.

One of the many galleries featured in the art fair is Art Cube, which provides a platform for talented young artists to showcase their works before an extensive roster of art collections. The gallery, which will be located on the 5th Level, Booth No. 5, will feature the works of father-and-son Renato and Guerrero Habulan, showing a glimpse of ordinary people: iconic images of the masses, their dignity amid hardship, and as an inspiration. Renato, a post-war and contemporary painter, is one of the most influential and award-winning watercolor artists in the country. Guererro, a recipient of the Thirteen Artists Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, combines different figurative styles and approaches—from hyperrealism to pop surrealism to the “ready-made” images of silk screen printing.

Also featured in this year’s edition of the art fair includes Celine Lee, who has been recognized for her work, including the Juror’s Choice Award of Merit at the Philippine Art Awards in 2020. She has a diverse portfolio that includes paintings, sculptures, embroidery pieces, and multimedia works that show her innovative use of different materials and media.
Art lovers can also check out the works of Winna Go, a finalist in multiple competitions in 2018, such as the LRT Art Competition, Shell National Student Art Competition, Metrobank Art and Design Excellence Competition, and Regional Winner for Philippine Art Awards. In most of her works, she gathers inspiration from the history of the Chinese diaspora, the richness of the Chinese and Filipino culture, her identity and positionality in society, and the beauty of nature.

“We invite the art enthusiasts out there to come and join us at the Art Fair Philippines and discover the country’s artistry and talent. Check out the many participating galleries that showcase Filipino artistry at its best,” Lacerna added.

For more information, please visit the Art Fair Philippines website and follow Art Fair Philippines on Instagram (@artfairph) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/artfairph).

Friday, February 10, 2023

Book Feature: Breaking the Scroll Trilogy + Exclusive Interview with Author Jane Vergara


HARRY POTTER MEETS AVATAR THE LEGEND OF AANG 

As a huge fan of Harry Potter and Avatar, I can't help but be excited about this new trilogy called Breaking the Scroll. 

It is about a boy named Kino Amark who lives in Akea, a place where all the citizens have special abilities. However, in this place where everyone has special gifts, Kino is the only one without any. Now, he dreams of being able to fly, and before the moon's turning (the end of the year), he must present his power to the emperor during the Akean Wine Festival.

He is so determined to fly that he crafts wings from all sorts of leaves, but his efforts have resulted in one failure after another. Little does Kino know that his heritage links him to the former emperor, a clan thought to be long gone, and a princess who can make things happen by writing them.

Kino doesn't know that a great destiny awaits him . . . If only he could get past the daily challenges in school and discover that there is a secret that has been controlling his power from manifesting.

With the help of Kino’s friends, Mayo Calo, the super adventurous boy, and Pyper San Diego, the little ghost girl, will Kino be lucky to survive in Akea without any power? Or will the gods finally grant him his dream during the Akean Wine Festival?

This book series will definitely take us through Kino and his friends' adventures and the fate of Akea. Sounds interesting right? 

Here are some of the testimonials about the book: 

"I read the first book online years back and I still remember how delightful the adventure is. Beautifully written and inspiring. Excited to continue on the second and third books."

"If you read the works of JK Rowling, Brandon Mull, or John Grisham, then you know the feeling of reading a book and not being able to put it down because you want to know what will happen next. The same experience happened to me when I started reading this book." 

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By the way, did I mention that this book series has been written by a Filipino author? 

Yes, you heard that right! Author Jane Vergara is a Filipino. She is an IT professional and an accountant, who works in a bank. Today, we are lucky to have the opportunity to have this exclusive interview with her. 

1. Can you share with us something about the book that isn't in the blurb?

Breaking the Scroll is an epic fantasy trilogy. I wanted to ensure that the book touches on relevant events in the country even though this is set in a different world. 

2. What inspired the idea for your latest book?

I always wanted to have a special power. Mine was to straighten hair without going to the salon. lol. And from that idea, I thought, what if there's a world where everybody has a special ability? What would that look like? And so I started the Breaking the Scroll trilogy.

3. How long did it take you to complete the book?

It took me 10 years to finish the trilogy. Book 1 was finished in 1 year, but all the editing and preparation to write the succeeding books took time.

Since the trilogy is set in a different world, there's the challenge of world-building. In the process, new characters were also introduced in the succeeding books, and all of them had to have their own arcs as well.

Finishing the book required me to go back and forth with the other books to ensure that there were no loopholes/ plot holes. So after 10 years, I finally decided to publish all the 3 books.

4. What part of the book was most challenging to write and why? 

The third book, Return to Akea, was the hardest one for me to write. This is because I knew that I had to give the story a good ending. Something that will satisfy the readers. I believe that books 1 and 2 were strong, so I wanted to make an even stronger finish.

And that was not an easy thing to do. Add to the fact that I had to ensure all the plot holes were resolved, and the characters' stories were meaningful.

5. What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

Everybody is special. Regardless of the gifts God gave you, you're unique and will always be special.

6. If you’re planning a sequel or writing the next book, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it? 

I plan on writing stories of the other characters, either as a side-story while all these things are happening, or after all these events in the trilogy took place.

For one, I wanted to explore the love story of someone who died in the book, and what that would have looked like in the afterlife.

7. Where can they buy your books or find out more about you?

My books are available on Lazada, Shopee, and Amazon. If you're on Kindle Unlimited, the trilogy is free to read.


Shopee:
Book 1: Breaking the Scroll - https://shope.ee/1VRQj6EPgX
Book 2: The Dark Unveiling - https://shope.ee/2Ah7WNwiUi
Book 3: Return to Akea - https://shope.ee/3fVvJB80HJ

Lazada:
Book 1: Breaking the Scroll - https://bit.ly/BreakingtheScroll1 
Book 2: The Dark Unveiling - https://bit.ly/BreakingtheScroll2 
Book 3: Return to Akea - https://bit.ly/BreakingtheScroll3

You may also visit my website: javergara.com

I also have a YouTube page where I post interviews with creatives and provide tips about writing. My books are also available as audiobooks on YouTube.

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Thank you, Author Jane, for writing this exciting book series. We are so proud to have a Filipino author write a masterpiece like this. We are grateful to have this opportunity to have this exclusive interview with you.  
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