MANILA: When Ysmael Raul Salanguste arrived in Saudi Arabia nearly three decades ago, he focused on his career. Now an established architect, he joins other Filipino creatives in using their artistic talent to give back to the community both in the Kingdom and back home.
A Northern Samar native, Salanguste has been living in the Eastern Province since 1993.
A senior architect at Aramco, he recently gained recognition at the “Art Through the Spirit of a Nation” exhibition in Alkhobar. Part of Saudi National Day celebrations, the event highlighted creators of different nationalities. Salanguste’s work was featured alongside other Filipino artists, whose work is rooted in their expatriate experience.
“The Kingdom has a unique landscape, culture, heritage, architecture, and even atmosphere. All of these provide me with endless inspiration,” he told Arab News.
“At the same time, living away from the Philippines for such a long time has made me appreciate my own roots even more. In my work, I sometimes incorporate what I see and experience here in Saudi Arabia alongside my memories of home.”
In watercolors, he paints what he sees around him — a landscape, an old building, a corniche at twilight.
“One time, I was at the Corniche early in the morning, painting a mosque there. Many Saudis gathered around me. One of them wanted to buy my painting, but I said ‘no.’ Instead, I simply gave it to him and told him to have it framed,” he said.
“Art is such a powerful way to connect cultures and build relationships.”
Like others featured in the National Day exhibition, he donates his work to charitable causes.
The causes vary. For him, it is helping those who need financial support for medical care; for others like Wellington Somera Jr., it is assisting the most vulnerable communities back in the Philippines.
Living in Saudi Arabia since 2012, the radiologic technologist from Cagayan Valley became involved in the art scene in 2018, trying to form a group of Filipino artists.
“We help different communities like the Mangyans in Mindoro. We donated paintings that were put up for auction, and the proceeds went directly to them,” he said, referring to the Indigenous peoples of the Mindoro island, who have been displaced by logging, mining, and land encroachment.
“So, we’re doing this for a cause, in partnership with the community leaders.”
But he also wants to promote Filipino artistry and connection with the Kingdom.
One of his paintings at the National Day exhibition was a football atop the Aramco Stadium, a core official stadium for Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
“I painted an actual World Cup football on top of the Aramco Stadium,” he said.
“I used to work for Aramco, so even though I no longer work there, I still feel proud of that connection.”
For Marcelino Gallos Gado, a finance professional who has spent two decades living and working in Saudi Arabia, the artistic skills he developed during that time are a foundation on which he plans to build his future.
His work centers around themes of his homeland and features his family members as models, incorporating native Philippine flora and motifs.
“Being away from the Philippines has deepened my appreciation for Filipino memories, which often appear in my paintings through color, imagery, and emotion,” he said.
“Exhibiting in Saudi Arabia has encouraged me to pursue my artistic practice more seriously, while my commitment to continual learning continues to shape my journey as an artist.”
When he returns to his native province of Romblon, he plans to open a gallery. For now, however, art is a part of his involvement in charitable causes.
“The Filipino community here in Alkhobar often asks me for artwork. Just last Friday, an organization held a charity gala called ‘Plate of Hope.’ They asked me to donate artwork for auction,” Gado said.
“I also donate artwork to our organization, the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants. We have a chapter here in Saudi Arabia, and every year, we hold a gala because we have a scholarship foundation in the Philippines. I donate one artwork for auction during the program. When it sells, the proceeds go to the foundation. It is also my way of giving back.”