By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Husband and wife team Roland and Tina Zepeda are this month’s featured artists at the 8th monthly art exhibit hosted jointly by the Philippine Consul General Office and the Guam Filipino Artists Association.
The exhibit opens at 3 p.m. on Friday at the consular area of the Consulate General office at the ITC building in Tamuning, where the Zepedas will showcase watercolor paintings and installations.
“Through this monthly art exhibit we are able to share the Filipino talent with the community of Guam, which we consider our home now,” said Roland Zepeda.
Born in the province of Bicol, Philippines, Roland Zepeda worked his way up in life, eventually earning a degree in fine arts. His expertise is watercolor, through which he brings his subject to life with vibrant colors and different techniques. He currently teaches at Saint Anthony’s School.
Tina Chang was born in the valleys of Baguio, Philippines. She graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the Technical University of the Philippines and worked as an art teacher for more than 20 years before she retired. Tina’s expertise and passion for art is evident from her nature-inspired paintings in watercolor.
Both Roland and Tina also create art through recycled materials. Their daughter, Kristine, is an artist as well.
Roland Zepeda is the president and founder of GFA, which marked its first year anniversary last June. “The formation of GFA was sort of an ‘accident’ and I am glad this happened.”
Two weeks before Independence Day last year, Zepeda called a few Filipino artist-friends and proposed to organize an art exhibit in time for the celebration of the historical occasion.
“The Agana Shopping Center agreed to host the exhibit despite the short notice. We prepared the art show called ‘Obra’ in haste,” Zepeda recalled. “I thought we could get at least six artists, and I was surprised by the huge turnout. We had about 25 artists and over a hundred artworks on display.”
The surprisingly well-attended event inspired Zepeda to form GFA, which has since held a number of group and individual art shows on Guam.
Last month’s exhibit featured Ruby “Ubeng” Fabro-Torres and Arnaldo “Neil” Calderon.
