Hong Kong, 2 February 2025 – The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong held its maiden Sentro Rizal Art Studio Painting Session, focusing on the iconic flora and fauna in the Philippines and China. The whole-day workshop took place at the Consulate’s Sentro Rizal last 19 January 2025.
The Consulate and Sentro Rizal Hong Kong aimed to upskill Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) artists in Hong Kong with the art of wildlife painting through the tutelage of its lead instructor, Ms. Bing Famoso and her co-instructor, Ms. Mylene Quito. Ms. Bing Famoso is a wildlife visual artist and founder of the Philippine Botanical Art Society and the Philippine Fauna Art Society, whose works are included in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History in Manila. Ms. Mylene Quito is a contemporary visual artist whose works are found in prominent private collections in the Philippines.
The two established artists were able to train seven (7) Overseas Filipino Worker artists in the art of painting two main symbols of biodiversity in the Philippines and China, namely the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) also known as the monkey-eating eagle, and the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The OFW-artists, who are members of Guhit Kulay, a Filipino art collective composed of OFWs based in Hong Kong, eagerly picked up guidance and tips on improving their techniques, particularly in following the tenets of wildlife painting, which is to keep the image faithful to the authentic likeness of the creature being painted.
The program’s output were two portraits depicting the Philippine Eagle and the Giant Panda whose presentation made certain that the eight (8) individual artists who had a hand in constructing the picture were able to display their individual artistic expression. This was made possible through making the final image into a polyptych, composed of eight (8) individual canvases in total painted by eight (8) individual artists, or four (4) individual canvases per animal.
Keeping with the theme of flora and fauna, Ms. Famoso and Ms. Quito donated their works of art to the Consulate, namely Haring Agila XII and Belle Fleur - Ilang-Ilang, respectively. These two (2) paintings are now part of the Philippine Consulate General’s permanent art collection
In sum, the event successfully inspired and enhanced the artistic skills of the OFW-artist participants in creating wildlife paintings. More importantly, it was able to create another powerful image of two icons of biodiversity from the Philippines and China that would raise awareness on the creature’s status as endangered species, and inspire their protection and preservation.
Currently, both the Philippine Eagle and the Giant Panda are included in the “Threatened Species” classification of conservation status under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The Philippine Eagle is now considered “Critically Endangered” with an estimated population size of 180 to 500, while the Giant Panda is now considered “Vulnerable” with an estimated population size of 1,861.
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