Himala sa Buhangin to pay tribute to Da King

Raphael David working on “Flavio” at his studio in Villasis, Pangasinan. (Photo courtesy of Raphael David)

By Grazielle Mae A. Sales

PGIN-CMO

Laoag City—Ilocos Norte, a fast-growing center for film tourism, will once again host a number of upbeat music and art installations with the return of “Himala sa Buhangin” this May 1, 2015 at the Paoay sand dunes.

After unveiling the sculpture of Elsa from the internationally acclaimed and iconic Filipino film, “Himala” last year, this time, the festival is paying tribute to another royalty in Philippine pop culture. 

“Flavio” of the classic film series “Panday” will be immortalized through a sculpture by the visual artist Raphael David. The sculpture depicts a scene where the iconic character is hurling his magical sword against a supernatural enemy which was created by the contemporary artist, Leeroy New.

“Filipinos love fantasy and adventure thus, Panday captured this distinct Filipino sensibility. Personally as a kid, I used to watch superhero cartoons and Panday was sort of a live action take on the superhero genre,” said Mr. David during an interview, who later on admitted that he felt “very honored and lucky” when he was offered a collaborative project to make a Panday sculptural piece. This is, according to Mr. David, because of the fact that Flavio, the Panday himself, was played by National Artist and action king Fernando Poe Jr.

“FPJ eventually became an icon of Philippine cinema. When you think of action movies, the name FPJ always comes to mind,” he added.

The 1980 film, “Ang Panday” [The Blacksmith], is originally a fictional Philippine comics character created by writer Carlo J. Caparas and artist Steve Gan serialized in the 1970s. The tremendous positive reception of the first film spawned three more films: “Ang Pagbabalik ng Panday” in 1981, “Ang Panday Ikatlong Yugto” in 1982 and “Ang Panday Ika-apat na Aklat” in 1984—all of which featured major scenes shot in the famous Paoay sand dunes.

Flavio is an ordinary human who is known for his superb swordsmanship. After a meteorite crashes to the ground, he forges its ore into a dagger, which magically turns into a sword whenever he raises it. Its blade hums when danger is near and can cut through anything without resistance. He uses this sword to fight his archenemy Lizardo and his minions who are oppressing his townsfolk.

On occasion, he uses a shield which is likewise forged from the said meteorite. Flavio’s trademark costume is composed of a red vest and dark pants.

“The main sculpture is done using fiberglass. For the sword, the same material as the sculpture will be used but with stainless steel features”, Mr. David explained.

“It is quite challenging to sculpt a large scale figure but I can say that I really savored the opportunity,” he added.

Raphael Daniel David hails from Pangasinan and is currently based in Quezon City. He studied Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. In 2009, he won the grand prize in the 42^nd Shell National Student Art Competition for the sculpture category.

Specializing in hyper-realist figurative sculptures, he utilizes materials such as silicone rubber, resin and actual human hair. His works are mostly life-like experiments or re-interpretations human and animal physiognomy oftentimes combining both to create unsettling characters. Mr. David has exhibited in various galleries in Metro Manila and his artworks were already featured in various exhibitions, such as in the Malasimbo Sculpture Garden and in CITEM’s Manila FAME.

Currently, Mr. David is an exhibition designer for the Mind Museum in the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and spends most of his time creating personal new works as an artist.

Asked about his most recent project in Ilocos Norte, Mr. David answered: “The Philippines is a country with great creative potential. Filipino artists can find inspiration from basically anything and anywhere. I believe Ilocos Norte is going the courageous path of investing in the creativity of Filipino artists as a means for regional development.”