Tacloban artist brings resilience and culture to Beijing Art Biennale

TACLOBAN, Philippines – Long before his paintings reached the walls of an international museum in Beijing, China, Dante Enage was simply trying to survive.

Like thousands of others in Eastern Visayas, Enage lived through the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), a disaster that flattened homes, erased livelihoods, and left deep emotional scars. 

Yolanda struck the central Philippines in November 2013 and remains one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded. It killed more than 6,000 people and devastated large parts of Eastern Visayas, including Tacloban City, where Enage lived and worked.

In the years that followed, Tacloban continued to rebuild not only its infrastructure and houses, but also its sense of normalcy. For Enage, rebuilding took a different form. He picked up his brushes and began again.

“Bilang isang Yolanda survivor, bumangon ako. Naging tema ko ang pagiging matatag, pagkakaisa, at pag-asa,” he told Rappler on Friday, January 2.

(As a Yolanda survivor, I rose again. Resilience, unity, and hope became my themes.)

There were no art galleries to welcome him and no steady platforms to showcase his work. Being an artist in the province meant working on the margins and creating without guarantees, recognition, or financial security. But Enage stayed.

Over a decade later, that persistence led him somewhere he never imagined. He was selected for the Beijing International Art Biennale, a major global contemporary art exhibition that features works from artists around the world and promotes international artistic exchange.

In 2025, Enage joined a small group of Filipino artists who have earned the same distinction, including Dennis Montera, Maximino Balatbat II, Cristina Taniguchi, Samuel Penaso, and Teody Boylie R. Perez.

For an artist who began with almost nothing, the moment carried quiet weight.

Art rooted in place

Enage describes his work as contemporary art, but what defines it most is where it comes from.

“Combination ito ng abstract expressionism, realism, at symbolism. Walang fixed rules. Pure experimentation at expression,” he said. 

(It is a combination of abstract expressionism, realism, and symbolism. There are no fixed rules. It is pure experimentation and expression.)

His paintings are filled with movement, organic shapes, layered textures, and flowing forms.

What makes them unmistakably his are the Pintados tattoo patterns and Baybayin script embedded into the surface.

“These patterns are my identity,” Enage said. “They tell people where I come from, Tacloban, Leyte.”

They are not decorative details. They are statements. Even on a global stage, Enage remains rooted in home.

The themes that recur in his work – resilience, healing, cultural preservation, and environmental care – reflect the life he has lived. After Yolanda, survival itself became a form of education.

“Bumangon ang naging tema ko. Maging matatag. Magkaisa. Umasa,” he added. 

(Rising again became my theme. To be steadfast. To be united. To choose hope.)

Creating without comfort

Life as an artist in the province has never been easy. Enage spoke openly about the realities.

“Mahirap maging artist sa probinsya,” he said. “Walang gallery. Mahirap mag-survive, lalo na kung may pamilya ka na.”

(It is difficult to be an artist in the province. There are no galleries. It is hard to survive, especially if you already have a family.)

There were long periods without sales, times when bills had to be paid and paintings remained unsold. But quitting never crossed his mind.

“Hindi ako sumuko. Naghirap lang. Nag-isip lang kung paano mag-survive. Ito ang calling ko,” he said.

(I did not give up. I simply struggled and figured out how to survive. This is my calling.)

When materials were too expensive, he improvised. In his early years, he even used tuba (coconut wine) as a painting medium because it was available.

“Kung walang pambili ng acrylic o oil, tumingin ka lang sa paligid,” he said, smiling. (If you cannot afford acrylic or oil, you just look around you.)

Much of his early confidence came from his mentor, Steve Acerden, a respected Tacloban artist who guided him in the 1990s.

Enage called Acerden an art genius who was the first to believe in him, and who greatly influenced him.

A last-minute leap

The Beijing International Art Biennale is not a competition, but selection requires passing three jury screenings.

Enage said he nearly missed his chance, ignoring the call for submission at first because “sanay kasi akong may bayad ang mga ganito.” (I am used to things like this requiring a fee.)

He said it was fellow artist Sam Penaso who urged him to apply, pointing out that the submission was free and that the deadline was that same day.

Enage submitted “Patterned Paradise 1,” an acrylic-on-canvas work measuring 133 x 165 centimeters. He created it without sketches, building the image layer by layer through instinct and experimentation.

“Walang plano. Spontaneous lahat. Yung idea sumusunod na lang habang ginagawa ko,” he said. 

(There was no plan. Everything was spontaneous. The idea simply followed as I worked.)

The painting imagines a world where birds, plants, and abstract forms coexist, reflecting the Biennale’s theme of coexistence. 

“Hindi tayo hiwalay sa kalikasan. Parte tayo nito,” Enage explained.

(We are not separate from nature. We are part of it.)

Months later, the results were released. Enage passed all three screenings.

“Malaking karangalan iyon,” he said. (It was a great honor.)

Representing home from afar

Despite being selected, Enage was unable to travel to Beijing. Limited funds and visa processing delays during the holiday season made the trip impossible.

He said there was disappointment, but no bitterness. “The selection itself is already exposure. Tacloban and Leyte are already on the map.”

Giving back through art

From a storm survivor in a province with no galleries to an artist recognized on the world stage, Dante Enage’s journey is quiet and steady. It is patient and earned. Like the layers in his paintings, it is a story that took time to reveal its beauty.

Today, Enage continues to work quietly from Tacloban, carrying his community with him in every piece. He said his family and community are the foundation of his art.

“Kolektibong kwento ito (This is a collective story),” he added.
To young artists in Eastern Visayas, his advice is direct and grounded. Practice every day. Learn patiently. Find mentors. Do not rush success.

“Huwag mong unahin ang benta. Unahin mo ang paghinog ng obra mo,” he said.

(Do not prioritize sales. Prioritize the improvement of your art.)

At the core of everything he creates is a simple message: “Take care of Mother Nature, because if we take care of her, she will also take care of us.” – Rappler.com