UGU BIGYAN's POTTERY GARDEN
Augusto "Ugu" Bigyan is a ceramics artist. Ugu produces dinnerware sets, decorative tiles and accent pieces for finishing walls and flooring. He enjoys great patronage from well-known individuals, up-scale hotels and posh resorts such as Amanpulo, Campo Travieza, Casa Patricia, El Nido, Hidden Valley and Villa Escudero. His residence cum workshop is located at Lusacan, Tiaong, Quezon.
Ugo Bigyan’s art works are mostly the functional kind. One finds here plates made of soft stone and in the shape of leaves; glazed two-colored glasses; the enchanting wind chimes; bracelets made from clay; bowls of different sizes and colors but all with simple but exquisite designs. A simple candy receptacle or platito is adorned with twigs where perched ceramic butterflies or birds. Bestsellers prove to be the big tapestries, big jars, plates and dinner sets, and other stoneware. And there are many more. These functional pieces can actually serve as objet d’arts.
Bigyan’s house is actually a cluster of houses, which include the house he lives in, a showroom, a workshop and several huts. Bigyan’s main house was made from simple hollow blocks and coated with reddish terracotta. The front lawn was accentuated with a circular structure made of brick and equipped with throw pillows in woven buri cases, where family and friends can gather and chat, and at night, perhaps, create a bonfire. Another curious accent of the lawn was a rock, which was hollowed out and filled with water where little, floating quiapo plants grew. It was an innovative version of an outdoor potted plant. A winding pathways lead to other houses. The pathways themselves were interesting to look at. Some were made from cement and bricks with glazed, ceramic fishes served as accent. Others are made from old driftwood, which were actually pieces from knocked-down old houses, which Bigyan salvaged and gathered. Still another was made from bluish gravel strewn around with broad-leaf-shaped footsteps made from cement. These footsteps were cast from actual leaves. Actually most of his clay works with flower and leaf motifs are cast from actual flowers and leaves. Bigyan called it fossilizing. We saw one apprentice artisan meticulously impressing a hibisbus on one of the jars.
Anyway, these pathways lead to other houses. At the right of the terracotta house was another house that seemed to serve as workshop, storage and living quarter. And behind was the showroom, where Bigyan’s work were on display and were on sale. The two houses had a rugged look. Made of bricks and cement, they looked unfinished, at one aspect they could look like ruins if not for the newness of the houses. Not the unfinished look was intentionally and was somehow intriguing.
Aside from artistically displayed clayware, Ugu's workshop/showcase offers quaint huts with which one can relax and leisurely enjoy a lush garden trimmed with terracotta chimes, fountains and koi ponds. Meals are served but must be arranged in advance.
A poster greets the guest with Bigyan’s quote: “Challenges drive me to survive and they make me stronger every time I work with clay.” Presumably, this serves as his motto in life and art.
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