Sacred scars

Max Balatbat and the forging of faith in 'Sampalataya'

- By S. C. FOJAS

Max Balatbat’s latest solo exhibit, “Sampalataya,” running until May 31 at the Art Cube Gallery in Makati City, is his homecoming. The exhibit is a raw and unflinching look at the crucible of faith, forged in the very neighborhood in Caloocan that shaped him—a place where desperation was a daily companion, yet in prayer, in its most unvarnished forms, always found a way.

Max’s art is deeply rooted in his childhood memories. He recalls his family building a small, unassuming chapel in the heart of the chaos. It wasn’t about grandeur or institutional sanctity. It was a gathering point where neighbors, prostitutes, gun-for-hire men, drug lords, laborers, and mothers came as they were, offering prayers for safety, success, or simply something to cling to.

The exhibit shows that faith isn’t a monolithic, pristine concept but a messy, human negotiation with the divine, often driven by immediate needs and desires.

Questioning the fabric of belief

The title “Sampalataya (faith or belief)” is a deliberate question for Max.