For Legazpi craftsman, sculpting is ‘communicating with God’

SCULPTOR Ramon Vibar, 61, is all focused on his work in his studio in the village of Cabugao in Legazpi City. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

LEGAZPI CITY—Ramon Vibar’s passion for images of characters from the Bible started at 7 years old, when his father asked him to paint a sculpted piece in the family’s workshop.

From wielding the paintbrush, he learned to handle a hammer and chisel and proceeded to sculpt religious images.

Vibar, now 61, said his talent is the best gift and blessing he received from God.

He said he was initially hesitant to learn from his father because “I would always get scolded.”

“But now, I’m reaping [what he sowed] and this made me a good artist,” he said.

He has since created life-size images of saints, Jesus Christ and characters in the 14 Stations of the Cross.

But Vibar’s masterpiece would come 26 years after he first wielded the paintbrush, when he created a four-foot replica of the Santo Entierro (the Dead Christ) for a faith healer in Naga City.

The piece, which he considers his first creation, made him known among the circle of artists and people who buy and collect religious images in the Bicol region.

People who patronize his art, he said, served as “advertisers” of his creations, bringing these to buyers in the six provinces of Bicol and even Metro Manila.

Vibar is beyond words when he works.

“I can’t find the perfect word to explain [how I feel] whenever I’m working on a certain image, most especially the face of Jesus Christ,” he said.

“When I start carving, it seems that I’m communicating with God. I imagine a scene that he’s just within my reach. I believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding me,” he added.

After he finished high school, Michael Cris, the oldest of Vibar’s four children, followed in his father’s footsteps and has been creating religious images.

“I did not [pursue college] because I wanted to help my father in sending my brothers and sisters to school,” said Michael Cris, 24, who uses concrete as a medium for his works.

“I decided to venture into this because I can sense it’s a calling from God. I’m very happy that I have the skills because only a few possess it. I’m offering it back to Him,” he said.

Among his creations are images of the Our Lady of Lourdes, which he sold to a customer from Masbate province, and the Holy Face of Jesus, which a balikbayan took to the United States.

Michael Cris said owners of religious images had started flocking to their shop in the village of Cabugao during the Lenten season.

While some brought images for repairs, others looked for images to be used during the Holy Wednesday and Good Friday processions. Michael B. Jaucian, Inquirer Southern Luzon