Pinoy Artistry and Wawi Navarroza

THE WORLD THRIVES ON ART! That's why we just had to catch the last leg of the 4th Background Ventures Arts & Music Festival at Megatrade Hall 3. The three-day quintessential series is held annually by the artists, and for the artists. A gathering of today's top musicians, poets, graphic designers, the inquisitives and the creatives of different sorts, even gawkers were welcome to satiate their curiosity.

The Cancios arrived at 12:45 p.m. and walked in to get an impeccable view of a Pastel Painting Workshop taking place with Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) President Fidel Sarmiento at the helm.

AAP President Fidel Sarmiento in a live exhibit

Glorious works of art by professional artists

This array of paintings on the floor were sent in by MIRIAM College's talented high school department.

After an hour and a half of prolific sight-seeing and mingling with artsy exhibitors, gothic diva Wawi Navarroza came in with her MacBook and vital know-how in fine art photography, ready to ravish the audience via the much-awaited seminar.

Wawi Navarroza on 'Photography as an Art'

I've never seen any of Navarroza's work before the festival, and I must admit I became an instant fan the moment I feasted my eyes on her internationally acclaimed masterpieces. She is, without a doubt, one of the most cerebral Philippine photographers of our time. Her photos depict reality with haunting vividness and a bizarre emotional tweak -- the stuff most people have trouble executing, let alone get together in their heads. The 'Wawi experience' was plainly stupefying. I had no idea photography could have such real life rhythm. Well, she does call herself a visual poet.

(Click any of the links to get a glimpse of Wawi Navarozza's multi-awarded images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wawinavarroza/, http://wawinavarroza.multiply.com/)