Children teeter on thin, delicate ladders, while paper airplanes pepper the sky and tiny paper boats swim beneath them. These mixed media works by 32-year-old artist Bonifacio “Boni” de Guzman are light with whimsy, but are grounded on a simple and significant message.
“Through my works, I wish to show that everyone – whether rich or poor – has the right to dream. But in order to turn these dreams into reality, you will have to go on your own journey, walk on your own two feet, ” shares Boni in the vernacular. “Just like the steps on the ladder, each rung represents a challenge/hurdle that you will encounter in life: sadness, failure, rejection. Each of these, you will need to overcome. How fast you get to the top depends on how brave you are, and much faith you have in yourself to achieve it.”
From wide canvases swathed in oil, acrylic and graphite, to sculptural pieces made from stone and steel, each of Boni’s obra maestras speak not only of his musings about life and society, but reflects his roots as a true native of Pangasinan.
“The paper airplanes and paper boats remind me of my childhood, and the street children I’ve met growing up,” shares Boni. “Like them, I used to peddle for scraps and rummage through garbage with my friends and siblings. I’d sell whatever I’d find for money to buy food, or supplies for school. When I was younger, I even sold ice buko and caimito to help out my parents.”
While not peppered with the usual comforts enjoyed by other more privileged children, Boni’s childhood did not lack in richness or love.
Other children have not been so blessed, he shares, and so he empathizes with their plight. He pays homage to the children through his artistic efforts. As seen in his works, the recurring themes and elements of paper airplanes and boats serve as a reminder of what many children have had to sacrifice – their own childhoods. “They deserve a life alight with dreams.”
Having participated in over two dozen art exhibits since 2003, Boni’s remarkable works are touching the hearts of art collectors and enthusiasts, and he is steadily gaining recognition across the country.
Boni is a proud a member of APATIRA, a group of homegrown artists from Pangasinan. They are the same group behind BISKEG-Pangasinan Artist Collective. BISKEG is the only active artist group in the province, and through its events and exhibits, Boni and the other artists aim to uphold Pangasinan art and culture.
His art reflects a mature perspective, but Boni considers himself still a neophyte and a late bloomer in the art scene.
This year, he garnered his proudest win when he was named one of the semi-finalists of Metrobank Art &Design Excellence (MADE) Competition in Sculpture. He was also recognized as one of the 10 Jurors’ Choice Awardees for Luzon at the 2011 Philip Morris Philippine Arts Awards. Recently, Boni staged his first solo exhibit, Musmos, at Nineveh Artspace in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
Balancing his calling as an artist, Boni also works at the government sanitation department of Pangasinan as an administrative aide. “I sift through garbage and create designs for the recyclable materials.” It is not a glamorous job, but there is dignity in honest work, he says.
During the day he is surrounded by trash, but once he gets home, he envelops himself in the beauty of his art. It is after working his nine-hour shift and getting his children ready for school that he pours himself into painting and sculpting. He finds peace working until the wee hours.
Through art, Boni has found freedom. “I’m happy when I’m able to explore my artistic passion, because this is the only thing that has never limited me. Lahat pwede mong gawin, at walang pwedeng humadlang sa iyo. Dito, parang lahat ay possible (You can do anything and no one can stop you. Here, it’s as if everything is possible),” he ends.