When life and art are one

THE ORLINAS’ latest endeavor is a labor of love. Photo WWW.GALERIEJOAQUIN.COM

Five years ago, we wrote and directed the religious musical, “Mapaghimalang Birhen ng Caysasay,” for Ramon and Lay-Ann Orlina, with music by Ryan Cayabyab, and the experience was so memorable for all of us that we’ve remained good friends since then. The musical is one of our favorite artistic collaborations, so we keep restaging it and hope to do so again next year.

Last week, however, our latest reunion with the Orlinas had nothing to do with our favorite musical, and everything to do with their latest “baby”—Museo Orlina, a three-story art gallery in their own building in Tagaytay—with a breathtaking view of Volcano Island as a fittingly exciting exclamation point for the whole aesthetic experience!

Original staging

ACCLAIMED glass sculptor.

We drove up for the new gallery’s soft launch with Celine Fabie, who was in the original staging of “Birhen ng Caysasay” and cherishes it as much as we do. We wouldn’t have missed the soft launch for the world—and so, it turned out, similarly felt many other artists and art buffs, led by National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva.

In fact, the Orlinas’ compact building’s various floors were filled with familiar and famous faces, all eager to wish their friends well on their latest endeavor. Aside from Ramon’s scintillating sculptures, the gallery exhibited other artists’ creations, including some National Artists’ masterworks.

Everything was placed in the right context when the new gallery building was blessed, and Ramon and Lay-Ann separately spoke oh, so movingly about their dream gallery, now beautifully realized in Tagaytay.

Three-story dream gallery in Tagaytay

By way of their deeply felt sharing, the Orlinas made it clear that their new gallery wasn’t just an artistic achievement, but a profoundly personal one, as well—because, to their family, art and life are one!

Incidentally, aside from Gallery Orlina, the new artistic space includes an amphitheater that the Orlinas plan to use as a venue for the staging, not just of our beloved “Caysasay” musical, but also other performances and productions that will enhance Tagaytay’s cultural life in no small way.

Naturally, we hope to be involved in that expanded artistic activity, because we have come to greatly value Ramon and Lay-Ann’s friendship and artistic collaboration. Their new Museo Orlina could be the start of something, cross- and multiculturally, really grand!