Ryan Cayabyab’s debut visual artworks transform into augmented reality art

It seemed crossing the boundaries of art forms wasn’t enough for the National Artist for Music. He took it even further by having his initial works as a painter applied augmented reality on through a collaboration with a crypto artist

Fondly called “Mr C”, Ryan Cayabyab is an accomplished music composer, arranger, conductor, recording artist, producer and mentor. Indeed, there is more than meets the eye in one of the most beloved National Artists in the country. Simply put, Cayabyab is known for his signature on his Facebook account—posting photos of his upper quarter face with his friends in the background. He called them “eyefies”, a play on the word “selfie” that has dominated our social media culture.

As to how these eyefies propelled Cayabyab to develop a penchant for painting, the lockdowns during the pandemic were to blame. Out of curiosity, he started buying acrylic paint, a medium he wasn’t knowledgeable about compared to oil and watercolour. Unbeknownst to many, Cayabyab used to draw in his younger years and even won the YMCA National Art Competition at 14.

And yet, his creativity was fuelled and in 2023, he exhibited 16 paintings—his debut as a visual artist. Little did he know that it would open another door for him.

Above Ryan Cayabyab, ‘Eyefie 16’, 30 x 30 inches, acrylic on canvas (Photo: Galeria Paloma)

Ryan Cayabyab, ‘Eyefie 16’, 30 x 30 inches, acrylic on canvas (Photo: Galeria Paloma)

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“Pardon my ignorance, this is the first time I am collaborating with a medium that I am not at all well-versed in,” Cayabyab admitted. Galeria Paloma, an established gallery that started venturing into the crypto art scene, approached him to collaborate with distinguished digital artist Jopet Arias, The idea was to infuse augmented reality over two of his paintings. “Of course, I am open to whatever innovations are introduced in the field of artistic expression. I am happy, dumbfounded, and more than excited to find out what crypto art is all about and how it impacts my expression of art,” Cayabyab said.

“Collaborating with National Artist Ryan Cayabyab was an incredible honour,” Arias said. “Helping him bring his works to the metaverse, especially when they reflect such a vibrant era, was truly inspiring,” he continued.

Cayabyab’s groundbreaking first album, One, served as the inspiration for his works. “Having sung all the voices in the fully acapella record, of which there are sixteen, Cayabyab paints the proverbial window to the soul: his eyes, behind which is the mechanism of his musical artistry, as mysterious and as fascinating as any instrument of music can be.

Above A Facebook post of Cayabyab featuring his signature ‘eyefie’ with friends in the industry

A Facebook post of Cayabyab featuring his signature ‘eyefie’ with friends in the industry

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“After finishing two pieces of eyefie paintings, I posted them on my Facebook and I declared that I was going to do four eyefies,” recalled Cayabyab. “My daughter replied on the post, ‘Why don’t you do 12—one eyefie per month’. And just a little later Raymond Lauchengco (the singer, visual artist, and events director) chimed in to say ‘Why not 16 eyefies to commemorate your One album’. He was referring to my One recording in 1981 where I used 16 tracks of my voice to produce a one-man acapella album of Filipino music. So there, the eyefie series was featured in my very first exhibition titled Tunay na Ligaya [real happiness],” he shared with Tatler.

Presented at the recent Art Fair Philippines, two of Cayabyab’s eyefies were turned into a diptych by Arias and included in Galeria Paloma’s Un | Tethered exhibition.

“The song Tsismis [gossip] served as the main inspiration for the diptych. Its upbeat, jazzy, and beatnik vibes, as described by Cayabyab, resonated deeply with me and influenced the flow of the artwork. This collaboration allowed me to explore new territory, venturing into animation with music for the first time,” Arias said.

Above Jopet Arias, painter, crypto artist, illustrator, and graphic artist, considered one of the forerunners of Philippine crypto art by founding CryptoArtPh

Jopet Arias, painter, crypto artist, illustrator, and graphic artist, considered one of the forerunners of Philippine crypto art by founding CryptoArtPh

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“As a two-dimensional illustration and traditional painting specialist, creating animation with music presented a unique challenge,” Arias said. “However, this collaboration stretched my skills and allowed me to experiment with digital processes thanks to the creative freedom I was given. The final product is something I'm truly proud of, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow.”

Dabbling into visual arts after a long hiatus, Cayabyab discovered how much he likes the silence, solitude, and stillness in art creation. “It’s so different from music creation—the sound space is littered with sound/noise and ideas coming from a sound source,” he said. “I like the feeling of being alone, too. In music making, the entire production of music does not rest solely on one person—it is a collaboration with so many other people: the musicians, singers, technicians and sound engineers, production people, arrangers, conductor, and music director. Music creation is a social activity, too, whereas in art creation (as I have experienced), you are alone. Collaborations are few and far between. And when people view your art, it is normally in silence. It is a personal experience with the art in front of view—just the art and the viewer in silent communication. How beautiful is that?” he continued.

Above A Facebook post of Cayabyab featuring his signature ‘eyefie’ with friends in the industry

A Facebook post of Cayabyab featuring his signature ‘eyefie’ with friends in the industry

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But amid the disparity, Cayabyab also found similarities in the processes. “In creating music, I usually start with a general idea of what I want to do—like, a song is already done in my head—the story, lyrical theme, and the main melody. However, I allow the physical creation to meander, experiment, or vary during the present music creation activity. It is the same way I create my paintings, with the very limited visual art idea in my head. I normally set out with an idea, but once my brush touches the canvas, the first few strokes would virtually define the direction I want to take. Same as when I sit on the piano to write music. The first note or first several notes already define the direction of my music.”

Above Ryan Cayabyab x Jopet Arias, ‘Eyefie 15’, 22 seconds-long digital animated augmented reality layer

Above Ryan Cayabyab x Jopet Arias [with audio], - ‘Eyefie 15’, 22 seconds-long digital animated augmented reality layer

Ryan Cayabyab x Jopet Arias, ‘Eyefie 15’, 22 seconds-long digital animated augmented reality layer

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For Arias, the project has highlighted the power of collaboration—working together and pushing boundaries while embracing new learnings in the art of discovery. “Every creation like Tsismis is a product of collective inspiration and shared experiences. The information we share and receive, no matter how small, shapes who we become and the art we create,” Arias said.

“The eyefie series is me on canvas. The real me—playful, spontaneous, full of fun and experimentation in life. The digital creation of Jopet highlighted all these with much, much success and for that, I am grateful and truly excited to share the joy with the art lovers. Hope they’ll like it, too,” Cayabyab concluded.

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Franz Sorilla IV

Art and Culture Editor, Tatler Philippines

About

Before assuming the Art and Culture Editor position, Franz has always had a penchant for visual and performing arts. He is passionate about exploring and writing about the local cultural scene and rediscovering the country’s storied past and rich heritage. Besides working on this luxury lifestyle magazine, Franz is an avid book reader, local traveller, museum-goer, chorister, and community theatre playwright.

Work

Franz earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He writes about local visual and performing artists and their craft; drinks wines, liquors, and spirits and talks about the creativity of their respective winemakers and master blenders; tries to learn more about business and investments; respects the tradition and artistry that go behind the making of watches and jewellery; and appreciates the genius of architecture and creative design.

As head of Tatler Philippines’ pool of writers, he helps them bring impactful and socially relevant stories to light.

For any leads, you may reach him through @franzsorillaiv on Instagram or franz@tatlerphilippines.com via email.