Elmer Borlongan and the distortion of reality through expressionism
When one navigates the history of Philippine art, artists such as National Artist Ang Kiukok, the great abstract expressionist José Joya and the ‘Grand Old Man of Philippine Art’ Fernando Amorsolo are usually the first that come to mind. Without a doubt their contributions to Philippine art will transcend their lifetime, however, there is another name that flies under the radar of Filipino art fanatics; Elmer Borlongan. Born in 1967, Borlongan’s father encouraged him to pursue art at a young age. This lead him to start his formal art education at the age of 11, attending classes taught by legendary Filipino artist Fernando Sena. Borlongan recounts Sena’s influence in a Manila Bulletin interview where he spoke on his exposure to Barqoue masters Rembrandt and Frans Hals through Sena. An introduction to the art world itself was also to be one of the many influences Sena had on Borlongan. Originally intending to study architecture at the University of Santo Tomas, Sena would convince Borlongan to enroll at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts instead.
Borlongan’s work has often been categorized as social realism which comes as no surprise considering the context of his upbringing. During this time, the political landscape of the Philippines was tumultuous, and many historical events took place such as the EDSA revolution, the Mendiola Massacre and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. It is times like these where art is produced more out of necessity over choice acting as a coping mechanism and a vehicle of expression of pent up emotions. Pulling from these experiences, Borlongan would go on to collaborate with artists through Sanggawa, a Manila-based art collective that painted large-scale murals that acted as social commentaries, depicting scenes from contemporary Philippine culture.
It was in the 1990’s when Borlongan began his rise to prominence. He would win the Thirteen Artists Awards awarded by the Cultural Center of the Philippines as well as be chosen as a contributor for the "At Home and Abroad: 20 Contemporary Filipino Artists” exhibit in the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. Borlongan went on to exhibit his works around the world in cities such as Tokyo, New York and Sydney. During this time, Borlongan also served as an artist-in-residence at CASA San Miguel where he met fellow artist and future wife Plet Bolipata.
Since their marriage the couple have taken residence in Zambales, Philippines with its influence evident in both of their work. For Borlongan the move to a rural environment would lead to a notable shift in his subject matter as his depiction of the countryside was more frequently seen over the urban setting that had usually accompanied his paintings. Throughout his work, his distinctive style remains constant. His adoption of figurative expressionism has allowed Borlongan to illustrate a wider variety of nuanced emotions, portrayed by his characters. When asked about his artistic inspirations he listed Onib Olmedo as one of his favorite Filipino artists. You can see how Borlongan might have pulled from the work of Olmedo with his experimentation of the human form and use of expressionism. For those unfamiliar with expressionism, it is a style of art that allows for a higher level of emotional expression to be conveyed, often through a distorted depiction of reality.
Borlongan has already established himself as one of the greats and has continued to keep up his artistic pursuits which you can keep up with through his Instagram @emongsky.