Guri-gurism

Tiyanak in Guri-gurism

It started out as a joke when I came up with it years ago. A friend told me about a certain painter named Solano Cruz who developed an art style which he called “Banigism”. The art style mimics the effects of the banig (nipa sleeping mat) in a painting.

I remember laughing when I first heard it. I thought it was a joke –until that friend showed me a painting done in that style. And then I thought, it must be really cool to come up with an original art style, and better yet, name it in any way that pleases you.

I’ve been drawing in a certain style during those days –using guri-guri (wild scribbles) to create my images. Inspired by Mr. Cruz’s Banigism, I decided to claim the drawing style as my own, and call it “Guri-gurism”! I said to myself, why not? If others have done it before, then why can’t I?

Although I wouldn’t say the style hasn’t been done before (because I’d bet my ass a lot of artists probably used it before), I would dare to claim the works I will come up with using the style to be Guri-gurisms.

For most of my previous works on this style, I have used the pencil or pen and ink as they are the easiest mediums you can use to do scribbles. But recently, for our exhibit “Faith”, I attempted to use the style in the oil on canvass medium. See it this coming Friday to get a glimpse of the first-ever guri-gurism painting by good ole me. 

I just love branding my works - or maybe I’m just a self-indulgent bastard. But who the hell cares? Hahaha!