Alamat ng Bawang

Jose Miguel "Jomike" Tejido’s paintings weaved into “Alamat ng Bawang,” a timeless Filipino tale of how garlic came to be, are currently on view at 1/of Gallery, 2/L Shops at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Having had four previous exhibitions mostly themed with abstract nature themes, Tejido’s renditions on hand-woven mats now include human figures in its dreamy landscapes that compose the illustrations for a picture book. The story, written by Segundo Matias Jr, has elements in traditional Filipino folklore such as the bahay kubo, forests, datus and townsfolk that aptly intertwine with Tejido’s distinct Filipino style.

The acrylic on treated hand-woven mats, sourced from a mat export company supplier to ensure its quality, has been Jomike’s signature style since 2000. His works have been exhibited in Paris, Singapore and Japan, where he has been a runner-up in the 16^th Noma Concours Picture book illustrations (2007). He is a member and was the former president of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang InK), an organization for children’s book illustrators. He has illustrated over 30 children’s books since 2000, some of which he also authored, including Tagu-Taguan, Dinosaur Pop-up, an innovative book that teaches pop-up mechanisms. Tejido also created the Foldabots Toy Book series, a collection of cardboard robot toys. Jose Miguel Tejido is a practicing architect and lives with his wife, Haraya.

The children’s book “Alamat ng Bawang” is available at 1/of Gallery. Call 901-3152 for details.