The legacy of mask-making in Bacolod City that started 46 years ago continues as the younger generation of Bacolodnon artists created their own masterpieces for this year’s edition of the MassKara Festival.
The inaugural MassKara Mask-Making Competition recognized three standout creations from among the 20 entries, showcasing the festival’s “artistry, culture and grassroots spirit.”
“This is not just a contest, it’s a tribute to the original artists who helped create MassKara 46 years ago. What we’re seeing today is a continuation of that legacy,” Art Association of Bacolod-Negros (AAB-N) president Tey Sevilleno said in a statement yesterday.
AAB-N spearheaded the event in collaboration with festival organizer, Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc., to highlight “the origins of MassKara as a grassroots celebration of art and culture.”
Using scraps of denim as the main material for his entry called “The Crown of Legacy,” Keny Pareja of Barangay Singcang-Airport emerged as the grand winner.
The “Yuhom Tumandok Yuhom” created by Ruben Susvilla, Jr. of Barangay Estefania and “The City, The Heart, and The Smile” designed by Aldrin Pasuelme of Barangay Bata were awarded first and second runners-up, respectively.
During the competition held on October 4, the contestants transformed the blank MassKara mask bases into artworks, using various materials such as paint, fabric, recycled goods, and indigenous elements, inspired by the festival’s theme, “One Smile, One City, One Heart.”
Looking back on how MassKara started, Sevillano said: “What makes MassKara unique is that it was born not out of abundance, but out of crisis and grief. Masks became symbols of strength, and smiles became acts of defiance.”
In 1980, the people of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City experienced two major tragedies – the collapse of the sugar industry and the sinking of the MV Don Juan.
A group of artists, cultural workers and civic leaders then came together to uplift the spirits of a grieving city, among them Rodney Martinez, one of the founding members of the AAB-N.
The “celebration of hope” came to be — MassKara, from the word “mass” (referring to the people) and “kara” (Spanish for face).
As part of a community outreach, the artists then introduced mask-making as a creative medium to engage out-of-school youth and barangay residents.
The earliest versions of the masks were made from paper-mâché, and later “evolved into pieces adorned with indigenous materials like coconut husks and seashells.”
Artists who were teachers at La Consolacion College incorporated mask-making into their art classes, and eventually, the barangays began designing their own masks and joined mask-making competitions.
“I think it’s unique because it started as a simple but meaningful program by artists to promote art in the community. In the process, it ended up promoting the whole city as well,” Martinez said as quoted by the festival organizers. (PNA)