Remster Bautista: a dab hand at many mediums of art

As his practice deepened and took on new forms, Bautista found himself drawn to other artistic media. Still, painting remains his first love, a connection rooted in his high school years.

“Back in 2006, I began participating in local and international art competitions. Initially, it was just for fun—to join an art club and make friends who share the same interests. However, my passion for creating intensified. The drive to produce artwork grew so strong that academic subjects became secondary,” he shares. 

The artist vividly recalls missing classes and forgoing lunch breaks just to spend more time in the drafting room. “I joined the art club at Batasan National High School, led by our art teacher, Sernobel Pineda. He trained us to compete and introduced us to new art styles and techniques,” says Bautista. 

“Painting became my favourite. It was practical and accessible, especially because I had limited resources. I had just a few tubes of acrylic paint,” he adds. 

Now more adept, the artist acknowledges that painting is more than just pigments and brushes. He has come to see it as a discipline shaped not by the body alone, but by the work of the soul. “Painting is the art form I cherish the most. Initially, I thought it was about brushstrokes,” he says. 

Bautista credits Filipino painter Froilan Calayag for this newfound understanding. “Froi introduced me to viewing painting as a meditative practice,” he explains. “About 70 per cent of my current approach is thanks to him.” 

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The early 2010s were a real turning point for Bautista. As the ‘Internet of Things’ quietly crept into his life and everyone else’s, he began to find and eventually create meaning through intangible artworks. He picked up programmes like Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Animate (what used to be Flash) and CorelDRAW.

“While traditional art forms provided a solid foundation, exploring digital tools allowed me to push my boundaries and experiment freely,” he shares. 

At the height of COVID-19, Bautista ventured into the world of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and crypto art platforms. “At the start, it felt like an online marketplace for my artworks, but over time it evolved into a vibrant community with co-artists from abroad. This platform sustained my art practice for years.”

He reflects that at this stage in his career, he has found a mentor in fellow artists Bjorn Calleja and Andre Baldovino. “Their advice on surviving and thriving in the art scene was invaluable.”

It was in digital animation where Bautista truly played and experimented with his craft. “I find limitless creative potential here. I can transform still images into dynamic sequences that explore movement and narrative, pushing the boundaries of traditional static art.” 

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His love for sculpting followed soon in 2022, when he enrolled in Ross Dionisio’s workshop. It was also around this time that Carrothorn came to life.  

While Bautista never explicitly likened himself to his creation, Carrothorn unmistakably takes shape as a physical embodiment of his quiet reflections. He tells us that the character lacks wings but has hands to aid its companions. 

“Its flexibility allows its head to rotate 360 degrees, symbolising openness and the ability to see in all directions without judgment. Carrothorn is meant to embody openness to new ideas and wisdom, serving as a reminder of the value of silence and attentiveness in the creative process,” Bautista says about his artwork. 

He has dabbled in sculpture using a diverse range of materials, including epoxy, resin, homemade clays, pottery, assemblage and even bootleg toys. “This art form allows me to bring my ideas into three dimensions,” he explains. As of this post, the artist is developing a series of epoxy resin Carrothorn sculptures. “I am making unique, odd-sized toys with distinctive features, each one a ‘one-of-a-kind’ piece.”

Bautista, who is at ease working across various artistic mediums, draws on a simple yet powerful idea from Vandana Shiva: “Sustainable agriculture is not just about growing crops; it’s about caring for the soil, water, air and all living things that depend on them.” 

He posits that art is like farming, and an artist must plant discipline, simplicity, and flexibility into their works.

Pain can both empower and cripple, depending on how one chooses to see it. This duality is at the heart of what Bautista regards as his most personal work to date. For Art Fair Philippines 2024, he presented a lowbrow painting titled Rohini, which features a little girl in red peacefully asleep at the centre.

Holding a doll in her hands, the artist’s signature characters emerge and swirl around her. “The little girl is the main character. She represents my daughter who passed away at nine months old,” he shares. 

“This piece was the most personal and emotional [as it was done] during our grieving period. Our little girl, and even that painting dedicated to her, have already left us.” 

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Much of the wisdom and sentimentality he applies ever so graciously to his works stems from a deep-rooted spiritual practice. Outside the art world, he explains that what sustains him most are meditation, yoga, and the people he chooses to surround himself with. “My family and friends always support and guide me. I am grounded and strong in my spiritual practice despite the very challenging environment in the art scene.”

Spiritism plays a big role in shaping both the artist’s creative process and personal outlook. “For me, ideas always originate from reading books, praying and observing the world around me. When I have an idea or concept I want to express, I start by writing it down, then visually explore it through sketches on a sketchpad, iPad or whiteboard.”

Bautista is fond of metaphors, and he often draws a parallel between the Filipino art scene and a farmland during the rainy season. The artist sees the local creative community as a fertile ground, ripe for planting ‘seeds’ that can flourish and multiply. 

“My relationship with the creative community in the Philippines today is akin to a farmer tending his fields. The opportunity to plant seeds is abundant, but success depends on understanding the climate, the geographic conditions and the behaviour of the soil to sustain growth.”

He adds that as his creativity grows, so does his appreciation for the value of community. “The next horizon is incredibly exciting—though I am uncertain of what lies ahead, I am grateful for the journey so far and for the people I share it with.” 

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