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Roy Alcantra and his Sculptures

Filipino sculptor Romy Alcantara won first place in the 54th annual Fall Art Roundup competition held in 2005 here. His masterpiece on wood called “Harmony” won over 127 finalists out of 550 entries.The award cuts a profound significance in Alcantara’s heart, not only because climbing a podium to accept a gilded accolade, after all these years, is new to him.

In his younger years, Alcantara’s sculptures won in several Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) competitions – while his sculptural murals adorn Manila’s august halls, commercial edifices, and luxurious hotels. He is a contemporary of Eduardo Castrillo, another illustrious Filipino sculptor. The son of maestro Jose Alcantara and protégée of national artist Vicente Manansala, Alcantara was easily a familiar name in Manila’s elite art community – until his departure for the U.S. in 1980. “I haven’t abandoned my art. Instead, I keep on developing it, I keep on learning,” the artist, now in his early 70s, told Philippine News during a visit at his house here. “The (Fall Art) award is meaningful to me because, once again, my art offered spiritual and emotional solace to the people, especially the Filipino people in America. It feels good to know that a Filipino is recognized for his originality and then have my work inspire the young.”
Alcantara was the only Asian winner in the prestigious contest.

It is not difficult for the sensitive spirit to identify with Alcantara’s quiet passion. “Harmony” breathes life like its inherent in the wood, it’s as though the artist’s hand freed the medium’s soul from its extraneous solidity. The master’s message is multi-dimensional but never convoluted or complex. “I like movement, I consider all angles,” he explains. “I take time to develop an idea. I draw them first, or sometimes I make clay models to capture the movement.”

That movement also comes with pristine, sylvan texture that reminds kababayans of Alcantara’s rural sensitivity and earth-bound sensibility. His body of work, then and now, is bedecked with traditional, small-town flair and environmental ambiance: “Angelus,” “Holy Family,” “Damulag,” “Seaweeds,” “Drift in Space,” plus the latter brass and copper flower and tree sculptures that ornament his living room. He makes special mention of a heart-shaped Madonna and Child wood sculpture that he gave his wife Ching as present. “I’ve always been connected with family, religion, and mother-and-child images. These are lingering themes in my work,” Romy states. “Iwas very much influenced by my father and Mang Enteng (Manansala) when I was young, thereby also experiencing their spontaneous research of life and living in Binangonan and other rural landscapes.”

Critics have hailed Alcantara’s work for their uniqueness and innovativeness. He, however, reiterates that it’s the originality of his art that makes him so proud up to this day. Originality, according to Romy, means his art sticks to inherent brainstorms and virgin ideas that, as much as possible, veer away from synthetic material. His preference is wood, especially narra, which can only be found in the Philippines—although he also work on adobe, stone and copper.

Alcantara was already enjoying financial success in Manila when he and Ching and their three young kids left for the U.S. 28 years ago.
“We were doing good at that time, but the Philippines was also in turbulent times,” recalls Ching. “It was martial law. Life back home was uncertain. I had to take care of my family first,” adds Romy.

As is expected with immigrants, Romy’s first jobs in America didn’t deal with his preferred profession in Manila. He worked a technical job at Intel, a computer technology firm, based in San Jose. Then he worked at the production department of the Los Angeles Times. “It was a struggle but it’s worth it; all our three children – Malou, Pinky and Michael – grew up to be smart and independent adults,” says Ching.
A native of Liliw, Laguna and a bubbly lady with the natural gift of gab, Ching became Romy’s synergetic partner. She easily complemented the hubby’s soft-spoken, withdrawn and humble demeanor with a sweet upfrontness that took Romy’s magical craft out there. “Sometimes though, we argue because Romy tends to give away his work to those who openly express admiration to his craft but don’t have the money to purchase them,” Ching smiles. “It’s okay though because these friends take care of Romy’s work – and that makes him happy.”

Does the artist miss his roots in rural Philippines? Indeed. His last Philippine exhibit was 10 years ago at the Ayala Museum. These days, though, he is more concerned with having to share his work with the young or those who have the passion to learn. “If you have money but don’t have the interest or the passion, forget it,” he says of prospective students. He converted his two-car garage into a studio. It is easy to feel Romy’s estranged spirit as he espouses sadness over the observation that he’s in a city that is more concerned with adulterated music, fast money and cable sports than arts. “But maybe I’d be able to at least start a Saturday arts group. So maybe people will come and we will start talking again,” he muses.

While he repeatedly says that he is continually learning as he lives his life, the world at large also continually grows with his art. It really doesn’t matter whether we know the humanity behind the work; it is the enlightening intimacy that the work offers to the unsuspecting witness that matters in the long run. That is why the artist never ages because his work is timeless. For inquiries about Romy Alcantara’s sculptures, call Ching Alcantara at 702-290-3592

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