Daniel Dumaguit

Daniel Dumaguit paints about joy, abundance, beautiful places and empowered women.

For Daniel Dumaguit, art is not only about self-expression. Rather, his works are reflections of his life experiences as a child, as a former overseas Filipino worker, as a traveler, and of course as a creative.

One of his fondest memories, which truly reflect in his artworks, is his memory of him and his mother, Herminia, selling jerseys or short pants in the market of Blumentritt in Manila, to make ends meet and to support his college education. She’s also a dressmaker.

It was his mother who inspired him to create the character “Ligaya” to be the centerpiece of his paintings. Ligaya, if translated in English, means joy or the feeling of great pleasure and happiness. According to Dumaguit his Ligaya series “is an inspiring masterpiece of woman empowerment as it invigorates Generation Z and Millennial Women to stand to have equal opportunities in every field, irrespective of gender.” He furthers: “This work of art portrays the love of a woman to her other half and what she can do for her family. Her luminescent eyes and enthusiastic smile show her resilience amidst adversities. The fish symbolizes prosperity and that in every success of a man, there is always a woman behind.”

All these years, women are treated as a weaker gender, which is far from the truth. Mother Nature has given women the power to conceive and to give birth to another living being. Moreover, the nurturing and the loving characteristics of a woman give her the capacity to understand each and every situation, and to resolve each concern, especially if it will affect her children and family as a whole. In nature, it was the female species who usually defend the young from predators and anything can bring harm to the brood. The fierceness of the woman’s love and her cleverness are, in fact, a very powerful combo, as shown by the breed of women that our society has today. These characteristics are clearly shown in his Ligaya Series.

Besides, nature in itself—and even the planet—is considered ‘feminine’; thus, the term “Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Mother Sea.”

Meanwhile, as a traveler, Dumaguit also finds Ligaya everywhere, especially in the beauty of scenery for example. Being exposed to beautiful places is also a source of Ligaya joy. Before the pandemic brought by the Covid-19 virus broke, Dumaguit had the chance to travel and see the beautiful tourist spots in the Philippines. This gives birth to his modern rendition of the iconic places such as the Taal Volcano, the picturesque view of the Islands of Batanes, just to name a few.

As an artist, Dumaguit’s modern take on his subjects brings not only uniqueness but a deep flavor and sensibility to his works. Aside from figures and scenes, Dumaguit also dives deeply into the world of abstractionism, with works resembling the ever-expanding and ever-contracting Cosmos; the ebb and flow of seasons; the boundless possibilities, reflected in his brushstrokes; and of course, the mystery and the depth of human mind and human emotions.

We truly hope that Dumaguit will soar high with his creative wings and will bring us more works that bring joy and awe in the coming days.

(Written by Noel Sales Barcelona)