STEPH LOPEZ ART

Paghilom (Healing) is a commissioned work for the Pinto Underwater Sculpture Museum for Marine Ecosystem Regeneration. Sitio Remedios.

Paghilom . Marine Epoxy, stones, shell, sand. Solihiya (synthetic rattan) for reinforcement. Wood and wire covered with Marine Epoxy for the frame. 30x30x39 inches (height x depth x width). 2023

The sea has a soothing, energizing, healing quality. And there is nothing quite like going to the beach to help clear one’s head and drown one’s sorrows. For the piece, “Paghilom”, one sees a figure with a hollow head and heart, representing the mind and/ or heart that need healing. I envision that one day, those parts – the head and the heart – will be filled with coral, eventually making the piece whole (and further down the road, completely covered with coral). When that happens, the piece, in turn, can contribute to the healing of the sea and the flourishing of marine life. (Inside those hollows are rods/ provisions for tying/ attaching the coral fragments. The holes in the half-mandalas surrounding the figure are for the same purpose.)

This picture of the piece underwater courtesy of Pinto and Coast Guard

The piece was transferred to water with a crane. The ropes were attached to a smaller boat (c/o Coast Guard) and transported to the spot where it was to be submerged.

Some shots taken on the boat on May 1, the first of two days that it took to transport and submerge all the pieces. Know more about the project by reading this Facebook post by Dr. Joven Cuanang, Founder/ President of Pinto Museum.

The following are some WIP (Work-In-Progress) shots of the piece.

Initial plan and drawing.

Rods in the hollows of the head and heart; holes in the half mandalas