Young Negrense visual artists have immortalized on canvas the way of life of the locals in Cadiz City and its neighboring areas in northern Negros Occidental.

Featured in the city’s coffee table book “Las Pintas (The Paintings)” are more than 400 artworks, depicting the sceneries, children’s games, harvest and market vendors, many of which are unique to the province’s second district that includes Sagay City and Manapla town.

“We want to highlight the talents of our local artists, introduce and expose them to the world of art,” said Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., who led the book launch held at the Cadiz City pavilion inside the Panaad Park and Stadium here Thursday afternoon.

The artworks were entries to the Dinagsa Festival 2nd District CaSaMa Painting Competition in January, which seeks to encourage, inspire and reward creative works as well preserve art and culture in the district and the province.

“These painting pieces build Cadiz’s numerous stories worthy to be told from generation to generation,” Escalante said.

On the cover is the surreal art piece by 24-year-old Cadiznon Earl Von Salcedo titled “The Dreamy Rice Fields,” which was the grand prize winner in the city’s Arts Revolution contest in July last year and in the 1st Province-wide Visual Arts Exhibition of the provincial government of Negros Occidental in February this year.

The artwork, which interprets the “modern futuristic” rice farming, portrays the Negros community’s journey towards a better future.

“My piece highlights the lives, culture and future of the ethnic or tribal farming groups in the country,” said Salcedo, a senior high school graduate, now attending a two-month Linangan Arts Residency Program in Cavite, and hopes to study Fine Arts in college.

On the book’s centerspread is the “Ang Pagdagsa”, a mural by Cadiz native and Texas-based artist/painter Hill Benitez, which immortalizes the historic landing of 12 sperm whales in Cadiz City on May 7, 1967.

The city’s annual festival, Dinagsa, which means flocked in Hiligaynon, was named after the event, which also earned Cadiz City the tag as the “City of Whales”.

Other highlights are the paintings of the four authentic Visayan folk dances that originated from Cadiz City, showing the practices of the local fishing community – the Manlambus, Pamulad, Panulo and Regatones.

Based on the data provided by Ruben Demonteverde, former professor of the Philippine Normal University-Visayas in Cadiz, these dances have already been approved by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. (PNA)