Mandala ng Pagasa (Mandala of Hope)

Mandala ng Pagasa (Mandala of Hope)

2012
Metallic Gel Pen on Illustration Board

“Bathala nawa
Kami’y tumitingala
Sa iyong likha

Ang lupa ng ami’y sinapupunan
Ang apoy na nagliliyab ng kaluluwa
Ang hangin na kumakanta n gaming diwa
Ang tubig na umaagos sa aming ugat

Ngunit
Kami’y ngayo’y nawalay
Sa dangal at banal
At winasak ang likas na mana

At ngayo’y kami’y
Tumatayo sa inyo

Umaasa sa isang pagkakataon
Bumangon at mabuhay muli

Na marangal
Mapagmahal
Nag-iisa

Sa iyong mata”

“Yahweh
We look up to you
And all creation

The earth that is our womb
The fires that ignites our souls
The air that sings to our spirit
And the waters that flow through our veins

Yet
We are now lost
From your honor and grace
With now a broken heritage

We see a chance
To rise and live again

In honor
In love
As ONE

In your eyes”

* In my studies of the ancient Tagalog script of the Baybayin, I have discovered the beauty in it calligraphic use. I took the time to study the aesthetics of Islamic calligraphy, then I applied it to the Tagalog script called the Baybayin. I am however using the Lopez variation to the script to allow me more leeway in the expressions of the words.

I am also presently doing some historical research on my hypothesis that the Baybayin was actually written in a calligraphic style, at least 100 years before the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.