Pagpanulô

Pagpanulô (acrylic on canvas, 24"x30")

Pagpanulô (or pangilaw) is the gathering of shellfish, crabs, shrimps, and other marine organisms during low tides at night. It is usually done with flashlights and headlamps for the person to see the organisms in the water and sand. I attempted to paint this said activity by depicting two women who have already collected a lot of shellfish and are preparing them to be consumed later on. The inspiration for making the painting was when I went to the homeplace of my fiancee. One of the activities we did while there was to gather shellfish (panulô) with her sisters. It was my first experience of panulô. After the gathering, we immediately ate the ones we had taken by cooking them in vinegar (kilaw). The experience was so satisfying and rewarding that I decided to make a painting about it. It took me a week to complete the painting.

This painting will be a part of the "Arte Centinaryo" (art exhibit) during the VSU Centennial Anniversary in April 2024.