Dimasalang III International Artist Group, comes to the Anvil Center with
“Walking with SYM – Inspiring a New Generation of Artists”

Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza, better known by his initials SYM, was an internationally renowned artist who was also called “maestro” or master for mentoring and nurturing aspiring artists in the Philippines and in Canada. He shared everything he knew with his students to uplift and inspire them. So they could support and inspire each other, he formed them into a group of artists called Dimasalang, named after a street in Manila where his career started in a modest studio.

As an arts teacher, SYM showed a wide spectrum of knowledge to his students – from the basic fundamental principles of drawing and painting to art history and to outside-the-box nuances and approaches to art not generally taught in art schools. In Vancouver, he shared his knowledge and techniques in art with Edgardo Lantin, Rod Pedralba, Noel Trinidad, Simeon Dee, Jess Hipolito, Andy Naval, Arlene George, Leo Cunanan Jr., and Maria Apelo Cruz.

SYM’s philosophy on art was “To express with the whole force of my capacity, vitality and intensity of expressiveness… bold and dynamic technique with profound intention to create and produce a work of art that is strong yet gentle to the human senses. In the end, it’s always my profound intention to create beauty which will stimulate not only our feelings but also widen our imagination.” He passed away in Vancouver on September 21, 2021. He was 87.

This exhibit features works of SYM’s and of his students from the Vancouver based Dimasalang III Artist Group.

Location: Anvil Center, Community Art Gallery
Exhibition Dates: April 1st – May 29th, 2024
Opening Reception: Friday Apr 5, 2024, 6:00-8:00pm
“2nd Sundays” Public Programming:
April 14th and May 12th, from 2:00-4:00pm.
Join exhibiting artists from the Dimasalang III International Artist Group for an interactive drawing workshop focusing on still life and portraiture. Guidance will be offered to those with less drawing experience.

For over a decade, JJ Lee has taken ad hoc portraits of participants preparing to march in New Westminster’s Hyack Day Parade.

“I grabbed what film camera I felt good about at the time and headed out to the marshalling area just around the corner from where I lived. I’d catch folks in full regalia but totally relaxed and waiting. So I asked to take their picture. And unlike when they’re on parade, I asked them to dial it down and just relax in front of the camera. And this is what I got.”
The portraits seem to straddle both the casual and the formal and attempt to delve into identity, photographic vision, ethnography, and the idea of evolving communities. There is attention paid to dress and how performance manifests in social rituals. The individuals portrayed here are both “on” and “off” in a way rarely captured in parades.
The images are all full-crop. The whole photo-emulsive area of each photograph make up each image. No pronounced manipulation or editing has been applied to the portraits.
“In truth, I am uncomfortable putting too fine a point on these images. They have to speak for themselves on some level. But I guess each carry their own surprising meaning however problematic and to find out what that meaning is I feel compelled to take the image.”

Exhibition Dates: April 10 – May 5, 2024
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00am – 2:00pm