TaraSaKawit

93-2832 – The Lilith Reyes-Perez collection

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These are the last two sketches I did on the Kawit Heritage Tour with #UskManila – at the ancestral home of Emilio Aguinaldo. In the museum on the ground floor they have an exhibition of Terno’s (in Spain ‘terno’ refers to a matching set of blouse and skirt, but in the Philippines this has come to mean a more of a gown with big rigid butterfly sleeves). The second sketch is of the ‘independence balcony’ added to the house in the 1920’s. The Carabao supporting the balcony is the national animal of the Philippines and we were told by the guide that it symbolises the Filipino character – calm, patient and hardworking but strong and fierce when provoked.

Sat-31-Aug-2024

93-2831 – St. Mary Magdalene Church, Kawit

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My next sketch on the Kawit Heritage Tour with #UskManila was of the bell tower at the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Mary Magdalene. This Roman Catholic church is one of the oldest in the Philippines, with construction started in 1737. Our guide told us that when the Spanish arrived in the area in 1624, Kawit became a red-light district and to counter this reputation, the Archbishop of Manila dedicated the church to Saint Mary Magdalene (supposedly a prostitute turned repentant sinner – although these days the idea of her being a prostitute is considered untrue and just served to disempower women).

Sat-31-Aug-2024

93-2830 – Emilio Aguinaldo Monument

Image | | Art-Chap-Enjoin

These two half-page sketches were done with #UskManila during the Kawit Heritage Tour in celebration of the 15th Kawit Day and History Month. Kawit is a municipality of the Province of Cavite and is the birthplace of the revolution against the Spanish. We started at the house of Emilio Aguinaldo (the first president of the Philippines) where I sketched the monument outside while we waited for the tour to start. The second sketch was done that the house of Baldomero Aguinaldo (cousin of Emilio and another revolutionary leader). Somehow my sketch of his bust makes him look like a young boy!

Sat-31-Aug-2024