A story of how culture and determination molded an artist and his dreams.
Before leaving Bacolod, I had the incredible opportunity of catching the opening night of the “Dream Toys” art exhibit.
“Dream Toys” is a collection of mud clay comic book figurines , created by Mark Juaniza. When Juaniza was younger, he dreamt of having toys of these characters to play out the epic stories and battles he read in his comics. Sadly, Juaniza’s parents were not able to fulfill his dream.
But Juaniza was so determined to be apart of these stories that he began to create his own toys from discarded stems of Chinese Watercress plants, toothpicks, and crayons. And with this newfound creativity, he developed an interest in sculpting.
As Juaniza got older, he experimented with other materials. He never attended a formal art school but has mastered mud clay. “Dream Toys” showcases sculptures of the toys Juaniza dreamt of having and encapsulates his childhood into an incredible exhibit that truly makes you apart of your favorite comics.
Juaniza’s story shows how determination and culture can mold a person to do great things and make their dreams come true.
Credits Video Produced by: CJ Palanca Audio Production by: Christian Bowman Written by: CJ Palanca Music: "Crying Dragon" by Loocid