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Stories of CCP Sinag: Festival of Radiance
FROM the outside, the workshop of Arvin Quiwa in San Fernando, Pampanga looks to be just an ordinary garage with plenty of junk. But looks can indeed be deceiving.
Upon entering, one will see an array of raw materials needed to produce a lantern. Sitting side-by-side these materials are finished lanterns in every shape and size — all twinkling with the colors of the rainbow.
Arvin belongs to the fifth generation of the Quiwa family, renowned lantern makers of San Fernando. He started as an apprentice. Then he became Operations Manager. After 10 years, Arvin and his wife Lennie decided to form their own company, Quiman Trading.
The creativity and craftsmanship of Arvin’s lanterns gained approval from people in Zambales, Olongapo and Metro Manila and even in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, among others.
Today, Arvin overseeing the production of the CCP 50th is Anniversary lanterns.
He toured a select group, including this writer, around his workshop as he explained the process of lantern making.
“The materials used in lantern making are: GI wire for framing and old school test papers or newspapers for partitions. But for the CCP 50th Anniversary lanterns, we used insulation.
“After the framing and partitioning, we installed the incandescent bulbs, and finally we wrap the lanterns in plastic vinyl sheets. For the CCP lanterns we used geena cloth instead of vinyl sheets, because it is more durable we used a sequencer for the lights.”
With such exemptions for the CCP anniversary lanterns, The Sunday Times Magazine asked Arvin his thoughts of doing the famed lanterns.
“It was a challenge for me and my workers because the CCP 50th Anniversary lanterns are not the regular lanterns we produce. The design is by award winning multi-media artist, Toym Imao; the automation sequencer is Gener Gudez.
“What made the work pleasant was that we all spoke the same language Kapampangan. We all wanted to do our best in illuminating the CCP on its 50th,” Arvin admitted.
Later on in the tour, Chris Millado, CCP vice president and Artistic Director, recalled how this collaboration started.
“The planning of this collaboration started a year ago. The CCP team was thinking what would be the best way to open CCP’s 50th Anniversary. Focus on CCP as the showcase of the true, good and beautiful, and what is excellent in the works of art and culture. We should have something on all the arts, but also embrace that vision and philosophy. So why don’t we do something that is fine art and folk art? We spoke to Abdulmari (Toym Imao), to design the CCP lanterns and Arvin Quiwa to make the lanterns.”
Imao’s installation, which will be placed at the CCP front lawn, will consist of a 20-feet lantern type sundial representing the role of the arts and culture in society over time, as well as a reiteration of CCP’s pursuit of “truth, goodness and beauty.” It will be a stylized Baybayin over the clouds on the CCP facade.
The installation combines traditional arts with modern technology interacting with promenaders, offering pure enjoyment of the nightly spectacle.
CCP’s Sinag: Festival of Radiance showcases the CCP’s 50 years of excellence in the field of performing, literary, visual arts and multi-media arts and its continuous partnership with its regional networks. It will illuminate the CCP and the whole complex, between 6 to 10 p.m., starting September 26 and will continue to do so until January 5, 2020.
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