by Rusieljs G. Lunasco

Cadiao with some of his works.

Roland Alayon Cadiao III, a 4th-year law student, and a self-taught visual artist uses recyclable materials in creating his artworks.

With mixed media as his medium, the 29-year-old Antiqueno has been experimenting with recyclable materials found in their locality in coming up with most of his masterpieces.

One of his works, ‘Face Mask Goes Global,’ which shows an indigenous woman wearing a face mask covered in thumbtacks was recently featured by Rappler and the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art.

“It’s a CoVid-19 handmade painting of an indigenous woman known as “tumandok” wearing a facemask customized with thumbtacks, said Cadiao.

Face Mask Goes Global, which shows an indigenous woman wearing a face mask cover.

“I used acrylic paints, inks, thumbtacks and other medium until I came up with this artwork. Aside from the fact that, I’m a member of the Indigenous People (IP) known as “Iraynon-Bukidnon” in the northern part of Antique particularly in the town of Culasi. It’s one of my artistic expressions that exist in today’s set-up given the new normal.”

Cadiao drew inspiration from his personal experiences in doing artworks during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

When asked about his advice to aspiring visual artists he said, “As a self-taught visual artist, I’m a proud Antiqueno! All we need is a disciplined eye and a wild imagination to make us breathe with different kinds of happiness, something that will make us realize the creative realities of life. Most of all, create for the love of passion because good arts need no competition! We must keep on widening our horizons and respect each other’s perspectives. That’s it. Happy creatives!”

Cadiao is also also a freelance photographer in his hometown Province, Antique.