Jansen Felimon: Art through found objects and life's realities
Sakuna o Ginhawa
* When Jansen is not busy with his mixed media creations, he also dabbles in photography, belen making, costume making, paraw painting and body painting
Budding artist Jansen Felimon, 24, uses "found" objects to express life's realities. He is challenged by working on objects that other people find useless. Well, apart from the fact that doing so is not too expensive, considering that he is now focusing his resources on finishing his studies in Architecture at the Western Visayas College of Science and Technology. Felimon is a graduate of BS Industrial Technology major in Architectural Drafting in the same school.
When Jansen is not busy with his mixed media creations, he also dabbles in photography, belen making, costume making, paraw painting and body painting. He has joined in several competitions showcasing his craft, like the Pinta Layag in 2006 where he won third place, Parol Making Contest where he won third place, Pabalhas 2005, a body painting contest where he won second place, Pinta Carabao in Passi, winning first among 50 entries, top 10 in the Tattoo Body Painting Contest of Pintados de Pasi in 2007, among others. He was also invited to judge in competitions like the Body Painting Competition in San Joaquin's fiesta this year, Bureau of Fire Protection's On-The-Spot Poster Making Contest in 2005 and Pintados de Pasi Festival in 2007. He also took part in the momentous First Iloilo City Arts Festival.
Steal Life
Check out his artworks and the message behind each. And as for his message to fellow artists, Felimon is encouraging them to strive, whether or not their artworks are bought. "Don't forget that famous artists have been through that, too. You have talent and it doesn't matter if you're just new or not. You need to produce good artworks, too."
STEAL LIFE
"Hanggang Saan, Hanggang Kailan"
He used scrap metal and saw dust. At the middle area of his work, one could see that he molded the human form. Each plate around shows the elements in an animal's habitat --- air, wind, earth and water.
"All animals have the right to live but due to exploitation, the animals have become caged," Felimon said.
THIS IS WHERE YOUR TAXES GO
"For Official Use Only" (left) and "For Your Eyes Only" (right)
Felimon wanted something different for the judges to see.
Magical Costume
At the left is "For Official Use Only", featuring a wooden door that shows pictures of poverty. These pictures are lighted. At the right, "For Your Eyes Only," one can see the realities that one sees on TV and around us. Inside the door is a drawing of a pocket. This sends out the message that despite the taxes that the public pays, the delivery of basic services has not improved.
SAKUNA O GINHAWA
"I was inspired to do this after my trip to a carinderia," Felimon said. At the carinderia, he saw a fly trap and he was attracted to the idea of making a mixed media of this. "See how flies go out to look for food and when they saw food at the carinderia, little did they know that a fly trap is waiting for them. Just like the poor. They try to seek for greener pastures abroad but some ended up being raped or beaten by their employers, get exploited and other sad tales," he said.
Felimon used oil and rubber cement for this piece.
TUOD
Felimon designed Tuod, the winner in the Most Magical Costume category during SM City Iloilo's Halloween Costume Competition last Oct. 30, 2007.
ALKANSYANG PANGMATRIKULA
This is his entry to the "Tradean Thumb" exhibit of the students of Western Visayas College of Science and Technology. Part of this mixed media art is a sanitary napkin, which he thought would offend the school's faculty. However, his mentor advised him to freely express himself. "So many people were surprised with that," Felimon said.