Sa Dalampasigan ng Daluyong at Dalangin

In his poignant homecoming exhibition Sa Dalampasigan ng Daluyong at Dalangin, Jeho Bitancor presents a lyrical collection of works that pays tribute to the resilient fisherfolk of the Philippines. These individuals, whose labor is both dignified and vital, are set against the presence of a foreign power threatening their livelihoods as well as the country’s sovereignty. This exhibition, while capturing the physical toil of these fisherfolk, also bring to fore the broader struggles they face in asserting their right to survive.

Bitancor’s works unfold on canvases that highlight the beauty and majesty of the sea. Breathtaking skies and ever-changing waters serve as both a source of sustenance and a looming threat to the people who depend on it. Through a visual language rooted in Social Realism, Bitancor depicts fisherfolk engaged in their daily tasks—hauling their catch, sorting the fishes, or braving the open seas both in calm and tumultuous conditions. Long-limbed, physically expressive, their faces resolute, the figures exude a quiet heroism.

The artist’s deep connection to his subject matter is evident in the evocative details of each piece. Having grown up in a coastal town in Baler, Aurora Province, Bitancor’s personal experiences with the sea are deeply imprinted in his art. Recalling the “Subasko” storms of his childhood and a perilous experience when a small banca he was riding in capsized, Bitancor intimately understands the risks that fishermen face every day. These memories, which form part of who he is, permeate the works.

This exhibition is not simply an ode to the sea or those who navigate its waters. It also exposes the anxieties and the indeterminacies brought about by geopolitical issues. The waters that have long sustained the fisherfolk—affirmed by a resolution by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as rightfully ours—are now contested by a foreign power with expansionist ambitions. Bitancor’s paintings, while steeped in maritime traditions, are timely and urgent, reflecting the current reality of the Philippines with its regard to its territorial identity.

Jeho Bitancor’s paintings serve as love letters to his country, that despite having lived and worked in the United States, his tender affinities lie with the archipelago, particularly with the people “with the sunburst limbs in tattered clothes, with the squinted eyes and calloused hands, with the forward thrust of weary bodies in heroic stance.” Through these works, the artist invites us to establish our solidarity with our fisherfolk, extol our waters and their bounties, and remain committed in asserting our sovereignty.