A graduate of Fine Arts major in Painting and minor is Sculpture, Cornelio “Nel” Lagda, has seen himself as a child who loves to play with clays and draw sketches during his past time. He never knew he has a serious talent in art until he joined a contest in his high school days that people started to notice these skills, that eventually led him to study and perfect it in college.

Initially, he wanted to become a portrait or representational artist, but one of his professors, Mr. Lao Yan Bien, saw his work and saw his potential in abstractions.

His professor was right, in time, his talent in abstraction soon came out of his work naturally. Nel started to notice that the colors and styles in his work are starting to change. Soon, he finds himself bored and not satisfied with flat surfaces, he wan to be physically involved.

He then started his sculpture in wood, carton, discarded parts of cameras, chicken wires and plywood. Able to produce an artwork from these materials, he was inspired and continued to do more. Being a music lover himself, he started another project using strings of guitar. This is his very first abstract work. Where can you see an artwork that you can play with?

His artwork is not dependent on the materials he had around him, art just comes out naturally. “You cannot force it. It will just pop out. In art, it is spontaneous.” Said Nel. His inspiration for his artworks comes from nature (a piece of wood or dust) and his memories.  He works with all his materials around him, wood, plastic, metal, taking time to look at it and then choose the right material, depending on how it will work together. He will be able to create an artwork within 2 days to 2 weeks at a time, depending on the complexity of the project.

“Each artwork has its own representation. Representing our past memories, present and future goals, as Lao Chiu said ‘No matter how you copy the likeness of things and objects, without spirits are just dead things’” cited Nel. He finds joy in his work. He retrieves these junks and make them alive once more in his artworks, giving them new meaning and reason for existence.

Nel also loves to write poems, and you can see it clearly on how he names his art as well, like: Echo of summer, nocturnal rhythms, and summer midnight spratels to name a few.

He even wrote a poem entitled, JUNK, and it goes…

Junks scatter, Everywhere grow, Like magma, On earth’s chest blow…
Junks sail, Fill every drea, Even in thoughts, Junks also cling…
Yonder litter, Junks play beyond, Drowned in the ocean, Of illusions and wine…
Junks gently creep, In space and time, Tease every spirit, With songs and rhymes…
Someday junks, May turn to dust, May all vanish, Stink and trash…
But when colors, Mix with the rain, In dreamer’s hearts, Junks… will grow again…

At present, he still works in the national museum as a national artist and in the planetarium.

His message to the upcoming and aspiring artists: “You must be true to yourself. You cannot fool your own people, you cannot fool your fellow artist. When it comes to money, don’t rush in selling your artwork. There is always an appropriate time for somebody to come by and appreciate your work. Just continue your work. “

A passionate man… a passionate artist…