Bayani Acala finds his artistic identity in the colors and traditions of Paete

From childhood surrounded by sawdust, clay and stage backdrops to major exhibitions and a first-prize woodcarving award, the Paete artist continues to build a body of work shaped by everyday life, movement and memory.

PAETE, Laguna, Philippines — For Bayani Ray Basa Acala, art did not begin with a formal decision to become an artist. It was simply part of growing up.

Born and raised in Paete, Laguna, Acala grew up in a community where art was woven into everyday life. His mother was an elementary school teacher who designed school program stages, while his father operated a small workshop producing wooden handicrafts for export.

The workshops of Paete became part of his childhood landscape. Acala recalls playing with sawdust and clay, molding small figures alongside children from neighboring families who were also involved in handicraft production.

“I grew up surrounded by art without even realizing it,” Acala said.

One of the places that left a lasting impression on him was the painting studio of local artist Amang Ibyok Pasawa, who produced artistic signboards and stage backdrops. The experience gave Acala an early glimpse into how creative work could become part of everyday life.

By high school, he was already working as a painter during summer vacations, creating papier-mâché pieces and handicrafts. Although he was surrounded by woodcarving, the experience gradually drew him more strongly toward painting.

His formal training came at the University of Santo Tomas, where he studied Fine Arts from 1992 to 1996. There, he sharpened his skills, joined art competitions and eventually sold his first painting, which had been one of his competition entries.

After college, Acala worked for an advertising agency, where he learned computer-aided design. The experience gave him technical skills that would later prove useful, but the work did not satisfy his desire to create with his hands.

He eventually left and worked as a freelancer while continuing to develop his art. Sketching sessions at galleries in Manila became another important part of his development, giving him opportunities to meet fellow artists and explore different approaches to his craft.

A gallery later expressed interest in his work and invited him to submit several pieces. Instead of monetary payment, he received art supplies. Although modest, the arrangement helped sustain his creative practice during a period when he was still finding his footing as a professional artist.

His return to a more sustained artistic career was also influenced by his uncle, Angelo Baldemor, and other artists from Paete. Together, they helped form the Banhay Kulay Paete Artist Guild, a group that became part of the town’s continuing effort to promote its visual artists.

Acala’s involvement with the guild opened opportunities for his work to reach audiences beyond Paete. His paintings and sculptures were subsequently featured in exhibitions at the University of the Philippines Open University.

In 2016, UPOU hosted “Silip Paete,” an exhibition of sculpture and painting featuring members of the Banhay Kulay Paete Artist Guild, including Acala. UPOU described the guild as a group that nurtures established and emerging artistic talents from Paete.

The following year, UPOU again featured Acala’s work in “Lines, Curves & Strokes,” a sculpture and painting exhibition showcasing artists from the Paete guild. One of his works, “The Joy of Living,” was highlighted in the university’s account of the exhibition.

Acala’s work also earned recognition in woodcarving, connecting his contemporary artistic practice with the traditional craft for which Paete is known.

At the 2017 World Wood Day regional event held at the University of the Philippines Open University, his woodcarving “Deutschland Rust” won first prize in the Bas Relief category, according to World Wood Day records.

The award demonstrated Acala’s ability to move between painting and sculpture while remaining rooted in the artistic tradition of his hometown.

His artistic range reflects the environment in which he grew up. Acala said he was exposed not only to visual art but also to theater, dancing, musical instruments and marching bands. Those experiences eventually found their way into his paintings.

His body of work includes series centered on music, dancing and performers, as well as vintage cars, mother and child, nudes and lovers. His “Inspirational Piece Series” draws from everyday life and portrays people engaged in ordinary indoor and outdoor activities.

For Acala, these subjects are not simply themes. They are observations of people living their lives with dignity.

His interest in vintage automobiles also has a personal dimension. A Volkswagen enthusiast, he has incorporated different vintage cars into his work, adding another recurring element to his visual vocabulary.

His artistic influences range across generations and styles. He cites Filipino masters such as Juan Luna, Victorio Edades, Vicente Manansala and Arturo Luz, along with modern impressionists including Hermes Alegre, Ronald Garibay and Marcel Antonio.

These influences helped him study different approaches while searching for an identity of his own.

Acala describes his style as a combination of impressionism, cubism and realism. Yet he is cautious about claiming that his work is entirely unique, recognizing the long history and vast range of artistic movements that preceded him.

For him, artistic identity is ultimately something that develops through sustained work.

“I’ll be contented and happy if someone says this is Acala,” he said.

That search for an unmistakable artistic identity has continued throughout his career.

In 2022, Acala was among the artists featured in “Paete Unknown,” an exhibition at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in Intramuros, Manila that brought together artists from Paete.

The exhibition added another institutional platform to a career that has developed across painting, sculpture and woodcarving, while remaining closely connected to the artistic community of his hometown.

His career has also become part of the larger story of Paete, a town officially promoted by its municipal government as the Carving Capital of the Philippines. The town identifies woodcarving, or ukit, as one of its defining traditions, alongside papier-mâché, or taka, and other cultural practices passed from one generation to another.

The Philippine Information Agency reported in April 2026 that Paete’s carving tradition remains deeply connected to the town’s cultural and economic identity, with local artisans continuing to pass their skills to younger generations.

Acala’s own story reflects that continuity, but also its evolution.

He grew up in the midst of traditional handicraft production, received formal Fine Arts training, worked in advertising and computer-aided design, returned to hands-on painting, explored different artistic influences and eventually developed a practice that moves between painting and sculpture.

His first-prize recognition at World Wood Day, participation in exhibitions at UPOU and his inclusion in the NCCA’s “Paete Unknown” exhibition are milestones in a career that continues to develop rather than a final measure of his accomplishments.

For Acala, the journey remains less about arriving at a final definition of his art than continuing to create.

“It’s like living my dream,” he said.

And in a town where art has long been part of daily life, Acala’s continuing search for an unmistakable artistic identity has become part of Paete’s own evolving creative story.

The Art of Bayani Acala. From the traditions of Paete to the rhythms of everyday life, Bayani Acala’s paintings reflect his continuing exploration of movement, people, memory, and form. His work draws from impressionism, cubism, and realism while developing a visual language distinctly his own.