Patrick Gelpe and truth
Patrick Gelpe with his work 'Somebody
Watching'.
While others express their true stories as well as their view of such through words, Patrick Gelpe decided to do so with his art strokes. His “truth” were seen in his exhibit entitled “Kamatuoran.” “These are the evidences and proofs of me, my beliefs, my generation and my time. After all, we pass this world only once in different times. And we have to leave stories that will be told by our children over and over again,” he said.
“Equality,” for instance, shows that the world revolves. “Sometimes, we are happy. Sometimes, we are sad. Sad to say that I can only see equality in the shadows of my paintings,” he said.
“Somebody Watching” tells that God takes care of us, but the Devil is just there, watching and always tempting. With faith in God, he believes that we can continue to do what’s right.
'Rocks', pastel on paper.
“Training Ground” shows where Patrick goes to relax after he paints. “That’s where my kids and I play basketball. That’s where I also raise my fighting cocks,” he said.
“In Good Hands” tells that with proper guidance, children will grow as better persons. “Let the child know that it was God who created us all.”
“Destination I” tells of Patrick’s true experience. “When I was only 14 years old, a coconut fell on me and I lost consciousness. Darkness surrounded me and I was being sucked towards a tunnel. Then, a few distance later, I saw light and the color red.”
Since he was young, Patrick loved to create artworks. When he became a policeman, he stopped. “I resumed after my brother Geron Gelpe encouraged me to paint again. That painting should be my legacy in this world and he was right,” he said.