In his first solo art exhibit, Daniel Dumaguit pays tribute to his mother Herminia with a series of paintings featuring Ligaya, a character she inspired him to create.

“Ligaya: Happiness Within” will run until October 15 at ARTablado in Robinsons Galleria.

ARTablado, a Robinsons Land initiative, has been supporting artists and providing them with a venue to showcase their work since 2020. A portmanteau of the words “art” and “entablado,” the Filipino word for stage, ARTablado’s art stages in Robinsons Galleria and Robinsons Antipolo have been putting the spotlight on Filipino talent and creativity.

Dumaguit, a visual artist from Taytay, Rizal, believes ARTablado is the perfect place for his exhibit. “It’s a venue that gives everyone a chance to appreciate art and not be intimidated by it,” he said in Filipino.

Like many artists, Dumaguit’s love affair with art started when he was still a kid. As early as grade school, he would draw on the back of his notebooks, even getting into trouble for drawing his teacher during class, with the guidance counselor summoning his mother to the school as a result.

Dumaguit would go on to join and win art contests and art would continue to be a lifelong passion for him. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from the Far Eastern University and enjoyed a successful career in Saudi Arabia as a graphic designer and visual merchandiser. But now, he’s back in the country to focus on what he calls his “new dream”: painting.

Dumaguit’s mother Herminia has always been his muse, both in art and in life. Growing up, while his father worked in the Middle East, he witnessed his mother doing what she could to supplement the family income—sewing, selling shorts in Blumentritt, raising pigs—while also helping her kids with their studies and providing emotional support for her husband. “She gave us hope,” Dumaguit said of the woman he describes as “madiskarte” and “empowered.”

Herminia inspired the character Ligaya because “she taught me that living a meaningful life comes from the constant pursuit of happiness.”

Her lessons have stayed with him. “Do what makes you happy. Be with people who make you happy. Find joy in everything—small or grand, in good times and in bad times. Bring joy to others.”

Joy is a big theme in Dumaguit’s work and Ligaya, as her name suggests, is the personification of it. Previous artworks in the “Ligaya” series depict the great lengths a woman would go for her family—a clear nod to Herminia’s sacrifices for the people she loved.

Dumaguit said, “Bursting with colors, this series attempts to spark profound happiness in different situations and in mundane things—whether you are spending time alone, with others, at work, traveling, or pursuing a hobby.”

He added, “This year’s ‘Ligaya’ series reiterates what I continue to pursue and hope others would live by too—joy. May we continue to chase it, find it, and be inspired by it.”

Dumaguit, who is inspired by artists Vicente Manansala, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Jose “Pitok” Blanco and Pedrong Masipag, also explores nature, spirituality, abundance, beauty, nature, and gender equality in his work. In his paintings, women have flowers in their hair and their tresses seem to be reaching for the heavens. “The upward trajectory of the hair symbolizes a sacred offering and a connection to God,” he said. “The narrowing and glowing tips of the hair reflect the transformative journey toward enlightenment and the radiance of inner joy. Through these visual elements, I aim to convey a sense of universal harmony and the joyous essence of spiritual connection, extending beyond gender to embrace a shared human experience.”

The artist dedicates his ARTablado show to his mother who died from breast cancer in October 2010. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. He has pledged to donate part of the proceeds of “Ligaya: Happiness Within” to iCanServe Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cancer patients and survivors—a way to honor his beloved mother.

Another way, of course, is by continuing to spread joy with his art. After all, that’s why he paints—“to bring joy and inspiration to those who will see it.” He said, “Their happiness is double happiness for me.”

Dumaguit is excited about his first solo show. It is his hope that mallgoers at Robinsons Galleria would get to enjoy his artworks and, through them, enter the world of Ligaya, the world of joy. Dumaguit said, “We are meant to live in joy.”