Son pays tribute to late mother through Filipino blanket-inspired paintings

Artist Gelo Zarsuelo honors his late mother with a collection of paintings inspired by nostalgic Filipino floral blankets. Photos courtesy of Gelo Zarsuelo. Graphics: Abigail Sales/INQUIRER.net trainee

“Home is where the heart is.”

An Aklan-based artist is preserving the memory of his late mother’s persevering love through his paintings of the iconic sampaguita-designed blanket seen in most Filipino households.

Twenty-four-year-old Gelo Zarsuelo told the Inquirer that he had always wanted to create a series on the blanket from his childhood as a tribute to his late mother and biggest supporter, Analie, but that he struggled to find a common ground between them.

However, when he was invited to a textile-themed art market last December, weaving the two ideas together felt most fitting.

“My mother was a huge part of my art [journey. She] has been so supportive of my art since the beginning, but it was hard for me to create art that represents [her —  especially] after we lost her; I couldn’t get myself to,” he shared.

“That ‘kumot’ (blanket) is more than just an object. It signifies how my mother [cared for] our house and our family growing up,” he added.

The ‘Ginbahoean’ series (meaning ‘grew up with’ in Aklanon) is a set of 15×15-inch paintings mimicking the familiar blanket design, which the artist views as a manifestation of his mother’s persisting love and care for their family.

“When I see the ‘kumot,’ I think of my childhood. I would sleep so well using it. I know that even if she has passed on, I am not alone in this journey. Her love lives on,” he said.

Zarauelo also hopes the ever-present blanket in every Filipino household evokes shared memories of nostalgia and sense of belonging to whoever sees it.

“I wish [it] reminds them of their childhood and their family just like how I’m reminded of these things. I hope they are reminded of what it means to be a child again, where everything is simpler and uncomplicated,” he concluded.

Zarsuelo is available for commissions. Interested clients may reach him through his Instagram page, @gelozarsuelo. — Antoinette Salamanca, INQUIRER.net trainee