The Igorot Solar Painter

When you visit Tam-awan village, dubbed as "the garden in the sky", at Baguio city, you will most probably meet a middle-aged person with a necklace of animal bones and sporting a "Pacquiao-facial hair". If he is riding a 'tatooed' volks (when he is not using his bicycle), he should be Mr. Jordan Mang-osan; a genius, a multi-awarded artist,  an indigenous people's culture vanguard, a very nice person, and most important of all...my neighbor (hehe, a few houses from mine).He was trained and influenced greatly by the senior artists of Tam-awan group, but it is Santiago Bosi (his mentor) who has  made a great impact in his life, it is from him whom he learned Solar Drawing.

His main tools for creating his art are very simple; a magnifying glass, a piece of wood, creativity, and the heat of the sun (some call the process, pyrography). In a competition in the US, his legend became an inspiration when he was the only one who was excused to get out from the art competition hall to proceed to the top of the tower because his medium is the 'sun'. I actually laughed when they told me this.

Just like most senior artists, he is  very willing and eager to share his craft, he makes sure that the art and culture in Baguio and Cordillera will be preserved during their time and be passed on to the next generation. I once wanted to be like him, until my father told me that I can't live with art. You see, one of his earliest painting was at my grandfather's house which he made when he was just a teenager. That collage sketch with patches of green paint has proven that he has the talent to become not just a national artist, but an international one.

For Jordan though, the cordilleran culture  remains in the heart of his works. As he cited, “My inspiration is to promote and share our cordillera culture. This is the only way we can share it, thru art”.

Jordan Mang-Osan was named as the most outstanding artist back in 1994 and the awards and recognition kept on coming, not just from here but from from Asia, US and other countries. Just recently, he was all over the news again when he was working with paintings of the boxer Manny Pacquiao. His ingenuity, and the uniqueness of his artwork made him recognizable here and abroad.

Jordan with his recent works.

Actually, you can add him up at Facebook. :)