MANILA - All was lost for Jhalanie Matuan who ended up alone and unnoticed, begging on the streets of the metro, digging up piles of trash for food or anything of value.
Jhalanie dug hard -- day after day, night after night, garbage after garbage, until she found used pencils and coloring materials, and then herself.
Those pencils and coloring materials, worthless for those who used to own them, reminded her of a dream she once dreamed back when she was young and hopeful, years before all the misfortune rained upon her like an angry monsoon downpour -- a dream of holding her own simple art exhibit.
Like all broken dreams on the verge of reconstruction, it was all sketchy at first for Jhalanie, especially on the weary metro streets she once referred to as "bagsik ng Maynila."
But stroke by careful stroke, she drew and painted -- improvised -- with all the materials she'd pick up on trash.
Until the dream came into form, little by little, and people began to notice.
##Today, I had a rare encounter with this incredible artist along Buendia Avenue.
I have actually been noticing her for a week now, it's just that I am always in a hurry every morning that I couldn't get a chance to stop and see for myself what she's doing.
Last week I promised my self that I will go early in the morning to stop by her.
However two consecutive mornings I didn't see her on the same spot and I was sort of disappointed on myself.
This afternoon though on my way home, I saw her and without second thoughts decided to stop. She really is incredible, I sat beside her and just looked on while she sketches.
Shortly, two foreigners (Indonesian tourists, Zee and Derran) stopped by and curiously looked on like me. We all just sat by in awe and silence.
Some while more and people started to crowd in. I said to her, I am buying the one she's sketching, only to find out the Indonesians wanted it too (lucky me I asked first haha!).
They just asked me to tell her to make two more of the same so they can buy also. She sells her works for Php50.00 each. I had an urge to pay more (especially that according to her poster she is raising funds for her kidney problems).
However, I also did not want to ruin the dignity she puts on her works (which by the way conceptually and visually are incredible). She can't speak, she only writes what she wants to say. One of my choices (An image of a nude woman on a dirty sidewalk) she said won her an award in Macau, she also said that she has had many awards for her works. This of course, I cannot verify but I told the same to my new-found Indonesian friends.
It was actually funny how our conversation has gone. Ate will write, I will translate for Zee in English and she will translate in Bahasa for Derran. Anyway, her works exude deep meanings and one can draw out many interpretations. I am glad I stopped by. I brought home with me two incredible works by this wise woman on the streets.
Poignant and respectable. She doesn't beg. She draws what she sees - both by the naked and the eyes within. She is Jhalanie Matuan (as how she wrote on paper). ##
"It's happening!" artist Coco Torre announced on his Facebook account, talking about Jhalanie's solo art exhibit happening Friday, August 28, at A Space Manila gallery in Makati.
But that wasn't everything the art gallery had in store.
Firstly, Matuan would be getting 100 percent of the proceeds made off the exhibit. For a woman living on the streets, that was great news. But even better was what the art gallery announced just hours ago on their Facebook page.
Not only did Matuan's 31 pieces sell out, people waited in long lines simply to converse with the artist herself.
Surely, this day will be one that Jhalanie never forgets, and hopefully, it is just the beginning of a long career for her as a paid artist.
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