Caballete Artist's Gallery Kamias: Cradle of Filipino Art Pieces

Caballete Artist's gallery Logo

People used to get excited to go to a gallery, meet an artist in person and experience a work of art. Nowadays, since almost every image an artist makes is now available on the internet, more people can view the work online and decide if they like it enough to leave their house to visit the gallery, or attend the opening reception, or just stay in to watch another night of reality television. But sometimes, it's really worth your time when you come and visit one. And such was the case when I came to see Caballete Artist's Gallery along that bustling Kamias road. It may be something that you'll really have to travel to since it's not typically located in commercial districts or malls, I can assure you it's worth all the trip and effort.

Caballete stems from the Spanish word for an artist's 'easel'. The gallery was born out of one's man passion to start a collection in the late 80's and collect the best of Philippine visual arts. He wanted to showcase the collection he has amassed to make everyone be proud what the Filipino artists have to offer. The said gallery also opens its doors to amateur artists. The goal of the owner is to place the Filipino art pieces into a pedestal.

Viewing an artwork on the Internet is like walking by a gallery on a rainy night and wiping the fog from the glass to get a peek. You think you can see the art but there is a barrier obscuring your vision -- distance from the actual art piece can distort your perception, and not being able to see how a work of art hangs or is displayed next to or near other works of art -- that can be an issue too. 

The gallery can also be a place to go to meet up with friends and exchange ideas and build community. The arts community has grown to be less real and more superficial because of things like social media and sites like Facebook. With all the good that social media does as a marketing tool for galleries, artists and the arts as a whole, it also removes something from the art world equation community. But it can never replace the real essence of having a gallery.

Galleries are one such place to build a community -- a real, true social network -- your art ecosystem, and that is important. It's been this way forever. Warm body introductions are  equally just as important. 

One can experience Filipino arts at its best when one visits Caballete Artist's Gallery. It has works of Manansala, Ang Kiukok among many others. 

Caballete Artist's Gallery is located at 111-A Kamias Road, Quezon City (just across the Shell Station)