'Strolling Home' at Vetted: Walking is good for the art

While still a painting major at the University of the Philippines' College of Fine Arts, Vien Valencia could not afford the materials required for his projects. So he scoured junk yards, and picked up objects from his surroundings, including those he found while walking home to Marikina from UP whenever he didn't have money for his fare.

- JOANNE RAE M. RAMIREZ

Walking home wasn't only good for his heart. It was good for his art. For his show "Strolling Home," at Vetted, whose exhibits are vetted by no less than Jonathan Matti, Vien made use of the jute sacks that he had collected through the years in his various "walks." They bear markings of their origin, mostly from foreign lands, alluding to the nomadic concept. The title "Strolling Home" also is symbolic of Valencia's return to painting, as he revisits not just the method but also the mood and experiences of his student days in UP and the days he occasionally strolled home from school.