Emerlito Salenga's 'Little Marites,' one of the five winning pieces at the Kulay sa Tubig watercolor contest by Gallery Genesis.
For nearly four decades, Kulay sa Tubig has done more than showcase watercolor paintings. Year after year, the competition has reaffirmed the Filipino artist’s mastery of one of the most demanding — and unforgiving — of painting mediums.
The 38th Kulay sa Tubig watercolor competition, mounted by Gallery Genesis, has once again made the case. The sheer volume of entries submitted from across the country — and the quality of the works that made the cut — demonstrate how deeply watercolor has taken root in Philippine visual art. Of the many submissions, 100 were selected as finalists for the exhibition at the stylish and beautifully designed Opus Mall in Bridgetowne, Quezon City.
Founded in 1983 by Gallery Genesis founder Araceli Salas, a former Commissioner for Heritage of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, together with her husband, Atty. Ernie Salas, Kulay sa Tubig was conceived to elevate watercolor from what was often regarded as a preliminary sketching medium into a respected fine-art form. Today, Gallery Genesis president Patrice Salas continues the family legacy, providing a platform for both emerging artists and established masters.
TOP 5
The competition’s nearly four-decade history reads like a roll call of important names in Philippine visual art. Among those it has recognized are Manuel Baldemor, Noli Principe Manalang, Toti Cerda, Araceli Dans, Pablo Baens Santos, and Antipas Delotavo. The latest edition adds another generation of artists to that continuing tradition.
Labindalawang Tagak
Sa Gitna ng Ulan at Liwanag
Taking the top prizes this year were Beverly May Ramos, a first-time Kulay sa Tubig participant, for “Labindalawang Tagak”; Emerlito Salenga for “Little Marites”; McMiller C. Andes for “Sa Gitna ng Ulan at Liwanag”; Crispin “Cris” Tuazon for “Imahe”; and Mark Anthony Payawal for “Papailanlang.”
Their works demonstrate the range that watercolor can accommodate in the hands of assured artists. Ramos’ “Labindalawang Tagak” uses delicate, fluid brushwork and a light-filled atmosphere to evoke the graceful harmony of 12 egrets. Salenga’s “Little Marites” turns to Filipino pop culture and everyday neighborhood life with expressive, colorful strokes. Andes’ “Sa Gitna ng Ulan at Liwanag” finds hope and renewal in the transition from torrential rain to light. Tuazon’s “Imahe” explores identity, faith, memory, and cultural heritage through Filipino iconography, while Payawal’s “Papailanlang” evokes aspiration, transformation, and the human impulse to rise above adversity.
Imahe
Papailanlang
STELLAR RUNNERS-UP
The five runners-up likewise demonstrate the range of subjects and emotions that Filipino watercolorists bring to the medium. Mike Borromeo’s “Matatag” evokes strength and resilience through bold strokes and a compelling palette, while Rhodelyn Comê’s “An Ivatan’s Harvest” celebrates the agricultural heritage of Batanes and the Ivatans’ enduring bond with nature. Jose Ronnie Golingay’s “Kapit Lang” turns to faith, solidarity, and the determination to hold on amid adversity, its expressive brushwork reinforcing the work’s message of perseverance.
Matatag
An Ivatan’s Harvest
Kapit Lang
Jose Angelo “Happy” Navarro’s “Alaala sa Suba” uses the river as a backdrop for memories, personal heritage, and the enduring connection between identity and provincial life, while Emmanuel “Emman” Silva’s “Prospecting After the Storm: A New Day Emerges” finds hope in the clearing of a storm, using luminous washes of light and atmosphere to suggest renewal and quiet perseverance.
Alaala sa Suba
Prospecting After the Storm: A New Day Emerges
What Kulay sa Tubig has sustained over 38 editions, then, is more than a competition. It has helped establish watercolor as a serious and enduring field of Philippine artistic practice — and provided a yearly measure of how Filipino artists continue to push the medium’s possibilities.