Ricky Yabut goes primitive

By Leah Salterio Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 22:57:00 08/16/2009 Filed Under: Arts (general), People, Culture (general)

HE WOULD have made a name for himself in politics, where his father, the late Makati Mayor Nemesio Yabut, left a formidable and perhaps unmatched legacy. But businessman Ricky Yabut had chosen to tread a different path.

For 35 years, he traveled extensively to play polo, which became his passion. He competed in Spain, US, Australia, Argentina, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. His extensive accomplishments in polo and exposure to different cultures during his playing days spurred his energy and inspired his art.

?As a little boy, you fantasize about jungles in Africa, rivers in Indonesia, the wild forests in South America,? Ricky says. ?In all of my travels where I played polo, I gravitated toward primitive pieces. I bought a number of interesting objects.?

After buying a one-hectare property in Calatagan, Batangas, in 1999, he wanted to build a rural getaway that would project a certain look.

?I wanted a modern structure with primitive artwork and design,? he shares. ?I designed, built and furnished the house using the ideas and images of the palaces and castles that I saw in my travels.?

When his primitive art collection grew too big for his condominium in Makati, Ricky decided to transfer the objects to his Calatagan home. The collection includes masculine pieces like a bison or a buffalo horn, carabao horns and animal skulls.

Fifteen years ago, he found up north a wooden pan for gold measuring 25 inches in diameter. He attached this into a pedestal made of eucalyptus wood and turned it into an item which he calls ?Kalinga,? his tribute to the highland people who built the Banaue rice terraces.

?My guests have asked me many times where I got some of the pieces in my collection and they are surprised when I tell them I made them myself,? Ricky beams. ?There have been offers to buy my creations and that encourage me to make more of my brand of art. I know there are many people who enjoy this kind of art just like I do.?

Ricky painstakingly devotes precious hours just to complete his ethnic artworks which he calls ?Primal Sculptures.? He uses old wood like molave, narra, ipil and kamagong, embellishing them with quartz and polished stones. Occasionally, his two children, Chelsea, 21, and Niki, 27, help him in some of his creations.

?The pieces are inspired by ancient people and ethnic tribes and through my passion, I pay tribute to their humanity,? Ricky points out. ?My travels have allowed me to see as they see and I have tried to imbibe their cultures and depict them in my art.?

?Turf n? Surf? is an outdated farm implement and a deep sea buoy which, when combined with one another, transforms itself into what Ricky believes best describes the cortijo, because of the farm?s proximity to the sea. He created the piece eight years ago and it has always been one of his personal favorites among his works.

?Toro? is a cast-aluminum carabao skull with the animal?s horns Ricky polished. This is a series of sculptures dedicated to his late brother, former Makati Vice Mayor Arturo ?Toro? Yabut, who died of colon cancer six years ago.

Ricky also has the ?Birds of the Calatagan Peninsula? series, carabao horns on Philippine hardwoods embellished with metal, stone or glass. No formal training For someone who has no formal training or background in art, Ricky has made an impressive edge for his brand of primitive and tribally inspired pieces. His works are primarily based on ethnic forms and patterns, with materials ranging from bone, metal, carabao horn, to stone, glass, wood, quartz ? all evoking feelings of familiarity and intimacy.

Today, Ricky?s unique and imaginative creations have become his conversation pieces with guests in his Calatagan home, which he calls Cortijo del Charro or House of the Horseman. The place combines African, Indonesian and Indian art, with a twist.

Recently, Ricky launched his website, http://www.primalsculptures.com, which showcases his artworks. He is aware he still doesn?t have enough pieces for an exhibit, but he wants to work double-time to hold a one-man show in Manila, which he also plans to bring to the US.

Meanwhile, Ricky informs his artworks can be purchased through his website and the items can be shipped to the US, Europe and Canada.

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