BY RHENA JEAN H. BATOBALANI/CMU Intern
ELENITA Dumlao’s “Taliwala” exhibit, which also features work by 16 other artists, opened on June 25 at 6 p.m. at The Foyer, La Herencia Davao. The exhibit will run until July 12, 2026.
“Taliwala” is a rare gathering of artworks that bridge generations of abstract voices, bringing together seasoned masters and emerging artists who continue to expand the possibilities of the form.
Elenita Cruz Dumlao was born on Aug. 22, 1958, in Manila but grew up in Mindanao, and this rich heritage and unique experience are very evident in her art.
For Dumlao, abstraction is not just a style, but a language of intuition, emotion, and imagination. And through color, line, texture, and form, each work invites viewers into deeply personal landscapes where meaning is not dictated but discovered.
“We can express our feelings through art, an art that is without form or any other elements, which we call the abstract form. In abstract art, there is no wrong. Everything is right and true as long as it is authentically from your heart and from the expression of your soul,” Dumlao said.
According to Wilfred Dexter Tañedo, visual artist and art coordinator at GDCI-La Herencia Davao, what appears in abstract art at first glance reveals layers of thought, spirit, and human connection beneath the surface.
He added that each piece becomes a meeting point between the artist and audience, where interpretation is shaped by individual experiences, emotions, and dreams.
“The artworks presented in this exhibition evoke an organic and living presence. Shapes emerge and dissolve, colors converse and collide, and textures carry traces of memory, movement, and feeling. Freed from the constraints of literal representation, these visual narratives allow the mind to wander, creating connections unique to every viewer,” he said.
Dumlao elevates her artistic movement by gathering a remarkable collective that demonstrates the enduring vitality of abstraction in contemporary Philippine art. The exhibit highlights the beauty of embracing uncertainty, trusting intuition, and experiencing art beyond words.
