Freedom in weeds

About 18 months ago, my brother Carl (Ang Kagila-gilalas na Pakikisapalaran ni ZsaZsa Zaturnnah, One Night in Purgatory) asked me if he could use my pressed flower art for a new graphic novel he and his group of very talented artists were doing. The title was Siglo: Freedom. The novel featured Filipino comic and graphic novelists at its best and a collection of comics stories about the Philippine experience of freedom.

Each set in a different time and place in Philippine history (and future), from Jolo in 1913 to Manila in 2004, the 10 tales in "Siglo" tackle a different vision of the quest for freedom, told through the writers' and artists' unique perspective. Staged in black-and-white and told mostly in English, each tale showcases the creators' diverse strengths and distinctive storytelling qualities. (full review)

It was only recently that I've learned that the novel was a recipient of a Manila Critic's Circle National Book Award tied with Mar Ravelo's Darna. There were several pressed flower or botanical art pieces that Carl used for each of the novel's chapters, as well as for embellishments for some of the novel's pages.

The picture of my work above is featured on a spread inside the novel and is my rendition of Freedom entitled "Against the Wind", done on a 30x22 recycled paper. I used mainly weeds found on vacant lots, a few bougainvilla flowers (not a good choice since these fade in time), and narra pod shells. I will be posting every now and then, some of the pressed flower/ botanical art piece that was used in between chapters. For the meantime...enjoy! :-)

Btw, stay tuned for Siglo:Passion. TBA