'Hapag ng Pag-asa'

Romeo · October 23rd, 2006, 04:38 PM

The video about The Man Behind 'The Table of Hope (Hapag ng Pag-asa)' can be found here:

http://www.clickthecity.com/clipcast/

Joey Velasco's inspirational journey started with an empty wall in the dining room. The painting that filled that empty space was meant to serve as a reminder to his family, but it ultimately became a strong message to an entire country. This is the story of the painting, 'Hapag ng Pag-asa' and the man behind the brush.

=========================

THE (HE)ART OF PAINTING HAPÁG

By GINO DORMIENDO
Contributor

THE FIRST SOLO exhibit of Joey Velasco is not intended for the callous of heart and those totally bereft of compassion. Neither are his works meant for those who regard artists as mere purveyors of beautiful images to be hung on the wall.
With his large, plywood-size oil paintings as well as relief wood sculptures documenting the lives and collective journey of a group of street children in various parts of Metro Manila, impoverished, neglected and abused, the artist has struck a sensitive chord by opting to do his unique kind of advocacy work. By interacting with these kids of the city’s slums, he sought to expose their abject existence, both in his art and through the book he wrote that documents their lives.
Titled “Hapág: Faith Beyond the Canvas,” (ArtAsia Gallery, 4th Floor, SM Megamall, Oct. 13-30), the exhibit is designed to call attention to the sad plight of our less fortunate brethren, the young and innocent children of the metropolis. The artist started work while undergoing treatment for kidney disease (a large mass in his left kidney had to be removed), and by the time he was through with the treatment, he found himself totally immersed in completing a series of paintings on the plight of the children. The stories they shared had moved him to create the paintings and write the book.
Velasco, a 39-year-old ex-seminarian from Don Bosco in Pampanga, has produced an entire tableau of hope and redemption made possible by one’s faith. Working in a style that is reminiscent of such masters as Titian, Velasquez and Caravaggio, Velasco situates the children in the context of Jesus Christ’s apostolic life. With Christ virtually present in each canvas, the artist admonishes us to do our part in building a Christian community. These scenes are heart-rending as they are awe-inspiring even to non-believers and agnostics.
The largest mural is “Hapag ng Pag-asa,” a 4 x 8 ft mural involving the 12 children and Christ also shown with them, partaking of food in the manner of the Last Supper. The image has been replicated in huge billboards and many passersby have reportedly been moved by the message it carried.
These are, of course, all real characters that Velasco has individually painted in the other works and their figures are delineated in flesh-and-blood configuration, in the style of the European masters, from their grimy visage down to their table manners. One must not fail to see the child on the floor, hungrily eating the left-over food. Particularly striking is Velasco’s unique ability to show emotion with the visage --- darting eyes and all.
Velasco admitted the use of a model for Christ, a mestizo whose features he altered by making his face gaunt and grimy. But the children, he insists, are all authentic, and they are captured in the manner of cinema verité, with little alterations save perhaps by what the brush has done in the name of verisimilitude. That he learned how to do portraits just a year and a half ago makes the artist’s feat all the more incredible, if not totally unbelievable. But he has achieved it, and can only gape in such display of skill and talent.
A number of the works, ostensibly smaller in size, have Christ in the company of an old man whom the artist met in Home for the Aged while doing his missionary work. The piece, “Atrofia: You Are My Strength” shows the subject hugging Christ, clutching his crown of thorns. Another painting, “Heal our Land,” shows Christ’s hands clasped in prayer, a Filipino flag draping his arms. The pieces that literally take our heart away are those showing the children in casual and intimate conversation with the Master, as in “My Life Is in Your Hands” with a cripple boy of 10 and his elder sister being comforted by the Master.
There are more scenes of the Hapág children that are better seen in the gallery walls of Artasia rather than vicariously experienced here. Velasco calls them the story of our people’s own redemption. The exhibit opens on October 13, 6 p.m. at Artasia, Art Walk, SM Megamall.
One may also peruse the book “They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of Hapag,” which will be simultaneously launched on October 13, at the Book Fair Exhibit in the Megatrade Trade Hall, 5th floor, Bldg A, SM Megamall. Velasco’s other works, together with cause-oriented artists, will soon be touring parts of the country, through Gawad Kalinga.

Romeo · October 26th, 2006, 09:53 AM

(Speech of Joey Velasco on the Occasion of the launching of his book “They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of Hapag” Oct. 13, 2006)

Dear Fathers, brothers, Sisters, Fr. Francis Gustilo my Kuya, Fr. Gregory Gaston, who came all the way from the Vatican, Bro. Paul of the Marist congregation and the present director of Kuya Street Children, Fr. Caloy Paglicawan, the rector of SASMA Theologate, Mr. Manny Ortencio, the sponsor and the benefactor representative of Focolare adoption at a distance, Fr. Remo Bati, my rector and mentor, Mr. Chito Santos, my esteemed artist who came all the way from Guam, Mr. Bernard Canaberal, National Director of Family Rosary Crusade, Fellow Artists, writers, Dear Relatives and friends. Fellow Bosconians and Salesians. Good afternoon.

I had been in business for many years since I was a young man. My orientation has been planning, target setting and competition. I had been aggressive and voracious in order to get the lion share of the market. Painting and writing a book were never part of my plans. I never thought nor imagined that I would grab the brush and the pen. Nothing was deliberate. I just went with the flow. On this regard, nothing was planned. All went into their proper places. And now, I am here in front of you launching this book. And the great irony of it is now that I have this book, we just closed our bookstore in Glorietta a couple of weeks ago. (So please help us sell the books.J )

Jesus Christ never wrote a book. The only scene in the Gospel where we saw him write was on the sand. But what he wrote was blown by the wind. What was etched in our minds forever in history and in eternity was his preference for the outcasts and rejects.
In the future, I will be like the sand that will be blown by the wind. I will remain an unknown artist and writer. I will soon be forgotten. May the things I wrote in which I commit myself, be etched forever. Countless books have been written in the past about the triumph of the human spirit and about great men who were larger than life. This simple book purports to share the stories of a handful of small lives whose voices are often unheard and whose tiny dreams are shattered before they can even take form. I just allowed them to speak for themselves even amidst the environment of cynicism. Their story does not seem much because it is so simple, but it is definitely deep because it speaks of and mirrors the ills of society.
I have learned from them that immersion or “sawsaw suka” is not enough, just for the feel-good-effect. Presence is the name of the game. Presence is what we are called for.

I do not aim to do a Mother Theresa here or to fire up a grand vision like that of the great Tony Meloto whose environmental and social reengineering of Gawad Kalinga is becoming global. I am aware that I am surely not a powerful force to advocate change that will prevent hunger and raise funds. I am not a wealthy person. I am just a painter. I cannot be a front liner of any movement. But I know I can make a difference. This is my personal healing and transformative journey through the children’s pain, hope, faith, and liberation that can reach across generations and cultures.

I wrote this book not out of conceit or in order to highlight the rare privilege of having painted with and from the heart. I am not sharing my strength as an artist or as a writer, but my weakness as a fellow journeyer, who witnessed these children drifting in the dark. Initially, I thought they were lost only to find out in the end that I was the one who was actually lost. It is not a testimony of how I pitied poor children. It is an acknowledgement of God’s abounding compassion on me. I am writing this to share how the Lord Himself painted through me and continues to give His message of hope and unconditional love through my humble work. In doing this, I wish to commit myself more and to live up to what is yet to unfold in the pages of this book.

Today, I would like to honor my parents and parents-in-law.
I would like to honor too my wife who has four books to her name: The baby book of Marco, the baby book of Chiara, the baby book of Clarisse, and the baby book of Marti. She is an exemplary wife and mother. I would like to honor the 12 children of hapag who have fed me and allowed me to discover myself. I am honoring too my fellow struggling artists and those people who work directly with the poor but never had the chance to paint or write a book.

I thank the Lord for His Divine plan that He has made me a Filipino and a Bosconian.

ChRiSTiNe · August 26th, 2007, 05:34 PM

last year pa pala to. but worth sharing.

anyhow, he spoke to us in a recollection for civil law students at UST.

touching indeed.

just posting the youtube clip for everyone to see and appreciate.

Kambas ng Lipunan

his website:

Joey Velasco

i love the Atrofia painting more and the story of lolo berting.

Atrofia , 2005

Oil on canvas 48 x 60

This painting speaks volume to me. It's about weakness and atrophy and how the embrace of God can give strength. The model reference I used here was an 83 year old man abandoned by his seven children. The lines on his face were etched out of pain. I knew this person many years ago but last year I saw him at the Anawim Home for the Aged in San Mateo Rizal. I asked him to pose half naked for this painting for five hundred pesos. I quipped that next time, I'd pay him a thousand if he posed in total nude. Of course minura ako ni Tatang.

My desire was not to make this painting just a work of art. I actually hoped to put life into it and attempted to let the subject experience Christ’s embrace by adopting and welcoming the lolo in our own home. He is with me now.

Recently, Mang Berting (not his real name) met an accident. He had a terrible cut on his forehead. It was so bloody. I rushed him to the FEU hospital. We noticed that the attending doctor had the same surname as him upon seeing the name tag on his suit. Then Mang Berting with his hoarse and quavery voice goes, "We have the same surname. Are you from this place____? trying if they were related." The young medic said, "my father's name is Red.”

To his surprise, the old man coughing, uttered, "Your father is my son...You are my apo." The pain in Mang Carding's heart surpassed the pain of his wound.

The doctor with tears in his eyes said I never knew I had a lolo. I've longed to have a lolo.

Truth is stranger than a telenovela, so to speak.

Until now, we are hoping that one day, the doctor would knock at our door to

get his grandfather for good ...to hug him as Christ did. Perhaps, someday....

This Lolo might be unknown to you but he can represent the old people we know. He can be one of us. Sometime in our life we can also be that old person. I remember my own grandpa and grandma when they were alive. I can't resist but think of my aging mother too. I pray she won't have Alzheimer's disease. I believe that the mystery of aging and its impact on each of us bears a gift still yet to unfold. Behind the apparent disgrace, turmoil and powerlessness is a blessing.

Father thanks for the inspiration. He is a God who heals the atrophy of our soul.

I would like to share with you this beautiful passage from a book What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancy, a Baptist.

THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO FOR GOD TO LOVE US MORE.

THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO FOR GOD TO LOVE US LESS.

How beautiful. I stopped when I read this passage and stayed with it for days. Think about this....there is nothing you can do for God to love you more. You are already loved. To the full. There is nothing you can do for Him to lessen that love. No sin will change his mind about us. No sin. Nothing. God's love for us is beyond what we can or cannot do. It is UNEARNED. GRACE. Pure grace.

I'm sorry if I rambled too much.

-Joey

24/7 · August 26th, 2007, 06:10 PM

Ive read the book "Hapag ng Pag-asa". Very nice and eye-opening talaga..

imhotep · August 26th, 2007, 09:29 PM

really nice and very relevant to the times!

ChRiSTiNe · August 26th, 2007, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 24/7

Ive read the book "Hapag ng Pag-asa". Very nice and eye-opening talaga..

after the recollection, there was a table in front of the auditorium and i was told that it was selling joey velasco's merchandise which included that book. too bad i was in a hurry to go home (as always) and didnt bother to even peek at the table. some classmates bought posters of Hapag and Atrofia.

the Atrofia painting related more to me in a way and the way Mr. Velasco narrated Lolo Crispin's story was both touching and hilarious. laugh trip!

Atrofia is a modern version of The Prodigal Son.

Mr. Velasco cried in front of us because apparently, his father, who is now a resident of Loyola Memorial (same description he had given us) had always wanted him to become a lawyer.

OMG! Mr. Velasco through Yuneeks of youtube gave in to my request to post the story of Lolo!!!

here's the

request

I made. I'm suigeneris25, by the way.

The Withered Old Paintbrush

October 23rd, 2006, 04:38 PM	#1
Romeo Capture It All Join Date: Jul 21 2005 Location: Pasig City Posts: 14,556	'Hapag ng Pag-asa' The video about The Man Behind 'The Table of Hope (Hapag ng Pag-asa)' can be found here: http://www.clickthecity.com/clipcast/ Joey Velasco's inspirational journey started with an empty wall in the dining room. The painting that filled that empty space was meant to serve as a reminder to his family, but it ultimately became a strong message to an entire country. This is the story of the painting, 'Hapag ng Pag-asa' and the man behind the brush. ========================= THE (HE)ART OF PAINTING HAPÁG By GINO DORMIENDO Contributor THE FIRST SOLO exhibit of Joey Velasco is not intended for the callous of heart and those totally bereft of compassion. Neither are his works meant for those who regard artists as mere purveyors of beautiful images to be hung on the wall. With his large, plywood-size oil paintings as well as relief wood sculptures documenting the lives and collective journey of a group of street children in various parts of Metro Manila, impoverished, neglected and abused, the artist has struck a sensitive chord by opting to do his unique kind of advocacy work. By interacting with these kids of the city’s slums, he sought to expose their abject existence, both in his art and through the book he wrote that documents their lives. Titled “Hapág: Faith Beyond the Canvas,” (ArtAsia Gallery, 4th Floor, SM Megamall, Oct. 13-30), the exhibit is designed to call attention to the sad plight of our less fortunate brethren, the young and innocent children of the metropolis. The artist started work while undergoing treatment for kidney disease (a large mass in his left kidney had to be removed), and by the time he was through with the treatment, he found himself totally immersed in completing a series of paintings on the plight of the children. The stories they shared had moved him to create the paintings and write the book. Velasco, a 39-year-old ex-seminarian from Don Bosco in Pampanga, has produced an entire tableau of hope and redemption made possible by one’s faith. Working in a style that is reminiscent of such masters as Titian, Velasquez and Caravaggio, Velasco situates the children in the context of Jesus Christ’s apostolic life. With Christ virtually present in each canvas, the artist admonishes us to do our part in building a Christian community. These scenes are heart-rending as they are awe-inspiring even to non-believers and agnostics. The largest mural is “Hapag ng Pag-asa,” a 4 x 8 ft mural involving the 12 children and Christ also shown with them, partaking of food in the manner of the Last Supper. The image has been replicated in huge billboards and many passersby have reportedly been moved by the message it carried. These are, of course, all real characters that Velasco has individually painted in the other works and their figures are delineated in flesh-and-blood configuration, in the style of the European masters, from their grimy visage down to their table manners. One must not fail to see the child on the floor, hungrily eating the left-over food. Particularly striking is Velasco’s unique ability to show emotion with the visage --- darting eyes and all. Velasco admitted the use of a model for Christ, a mestizo whose features he altered by making his face gaunt and grimy. But the children, he insists, are all authentic, and they are captured in the manner of cinema verité, with little alterations save perhaps by what the brush has done in the name of verisimilitude. That he learned how to do portraits just a year and a half ago makes the artist’s feat all the more incredible, if not totally unbelievable. But he has achieved it, and can only gape in such display of skill and talent. A number of the works, ostensibly smaller in size, have Christ in the company of an old man whom the artist met in Home for the Aged while doing his missionary work. The piece, “Atrofia: You Are My Strength” shows the subject hugging Christ, clutching his crown of thorns. Another painting, “Heal our Land,” shows Christ’s hands clasped in prayer, a Filipino flag draping his arms. The pieces that literally take our heart away are those showing the children in casual and intimate conversation with the Master, as in “My Life Is in Your Hands” with a cripple boy of 10 and his elder sister being comforted by the Master. There are more scenes of the Hapág children that are better seen in the gallery walls of Artasia rather than vicariously experienced here. Velasco calls them the story of our people’s own redemption. The exhibit opens on October 13, 6 p.m. at Artasia, Art Walk, SM Megamall. One may also peruse the book “They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of Hapag,” which will be simultaneously launched on October 13, at the Book Fair Exhibit in the Megatrade Trade Hall, 5th floor, Bldg A, SM Megamall. Velasco’s other works, together with cause-oriented artists, will soon be touring parts of the country, through Gawad Kalinga. __________________ Last edited by Romeo; October 23rd, 2006 at 04:38 PM.. Reason: Automerged

August 26th, 2007, 06:10 PM	#4
24/7 Founding Member Join Date: Jul 24 2005 Location: somewhere in manila Posts: 668	Ive read the book "Hapag ng Pag-asa". Very nice and eye-opening talaga.. __________________ http://wfhph.com/smarty/

August 26th, 2007, 09:29 PM	#5
imhotep Founding Member Join Date: Jun 01 2006 Location: in alpha... Posts: 2,530	really nice and very relevant to the times! __________________ To err is human, but to love is divine!

October 26th, 2006, 09:53 AM	#2
Romeo Capture It All Join Date: Jul 21 2005 Location: Pasig City Posts: 14,556	(Speech of Joey Velasco on the Occasion of the launching of his book “They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of Hapag” Oct. 13, 2006) Dear Fathers, brothers, Sisters, Fr. Francis Gustilo my Kuya, Fr. Gregory Gaston, who came all the way from the Vatican, Bro. Paul of the Marist congregation and the present director of Kuya Street Children, Fr. Caloy Paglicawan, the rector of SASMA Theologate, Mr. Manny Ortencio, the sponsor and the benefactor representative of Focolare adoption at a distance, Fr. Remo Bati, my rector and mentor, Mr. Chito Santos, my esteemed artist who came all the way from Guam, Mr. Bernard Canaberal, National Director of Family Rosary Crusade, Fellow Artists, writers, Dear Relatives and friends. Fellow Bosconians and Salesians. Good afternoon. I had been in business for many years since I was a young man. My orientation has been planning, target setting and competition. I had been aggressive and voracious in order to get the lion share of the market. Painting and writing a book were never part of my plans. I never thought nor imagined that I would grab the brush and the pen. Nothing was deliberate. I just went with the flow. On this regard, nothing was planned. All went into their proper places. And now, I am here in front of you launching this book. And the great irony of it is now that I have this book, we just closed our bookstore in Glorietta a couple of weeks ago. (So please help us sell the books.J ) Jesus Christ never wrote a book. The only scene in the Gospel where we saw him write was on the sand. But what he wrote was blown by the wind. What was etched in our minds forever in history and in eternity was his preference for the outcasts and rejects. In the future, I will be like the sand that will be blown by the wind. I will remain an unknown artist and writer. I will soon be forgotten. May the things I wrote in which I commit myself, be etched forever. Countless books have been written in the past about the triumph of the human spirit and about great men who were larger than life. This simple book purports to share the stories of a handful of small lives whose voices are often unheard and whose tiny dreams are shattered before they can even take form. I just allowed them to speak for themselves even amidst the environment of cynicism. Their story does not seem much because it is so simple, but it is definitely deep because it speaks of and mirrors the ills of society. I have learned from them that immersion or “sawsaw suka” is not enough, just for the feel-good-effect. Presence is the name of the game. Presence is what we are called for. I do not aim to do a Mother Theresa here or to fire up a grand vision like that of the great Tony Meloto whose environmental and social reengineering of Gawad Kalinga is becoming global. I am aware that I am surely not a powerful force to advocate change that will prevent hunger and raise funds. I am not a wealthy person. I am just a painter. I cannot be a front liner of any movement. But I know I can make a difference. This is my personal healing and transformative journey through the children’s pain, hope, faith, and liberation that can reach across generations and cultures. I wrote this book not out of conceit or in order to highlight the rare privilege of having painted with and from the heart. I am not sharing my strength as an artist or as a writer, but my weakness as a fellow journeyer, who witnessed these children drifting in the dark. Initially, I thought they were lost only to find out in the end that I was the one who was actually lost. It is not a testimony of how I pitied poor children. It is an acknowledgement of God’s abounding compassion on me. I am writing this to share how the Lord Himself painted through me and continues to give His message of hope and unconditional love through my humble work. In doing this, I wish to commit myself more and to live up to what is yet to unfold in the pages of this book. Today, I would like to honor my parents and parents-in-law. I would like to honor too my wife who has four books to her name: The baby book of Marco, the baby book of Chiara, the baby book of Clarisse, and the baby book of Marti. She is an exemplary wife and mother. I would like to honor the 12 children of hapag who have fed me and allowed me to discover myself. I am honoring too my fellow struggling artists and those people who work directly with the poor but never had the chance to paint or write a book. I thank the Lord for His Divine plan that He has made me a Filipino and a Bosconian.