From Flip-Flops to Paintings: Tsinelas Art of Alger Guevarra
The very common footwear in the Philippines known as tsinelas or flip flops/slippers is the main ingredient of a Filipino artist in creating his paintings. His advocacy for helping the environment and his passion for arts enabled him to create masterpieces that are known and recognized abroad.
“Basta masaya ako sa painting. Malaya ako. Masaya ako sa ginagawa ko, parang bata diba.” [I know I am happy with painting. I am free. I love what I am doing, just like a kid.]
Alger believes that art is the best thing that makes him feel truly free and joyful at the same time. He said such happiness is comparable to a kid doing whatever he wants. He can sing, dance, and do some music; the same innocent feeling of flabbergast dominates him whenever he creates his crafts.
Alger Guevarra, born on the outskirts of Southern Leyte, was raised in Bataan, Manila, Philippines. From there, he took his undergraduate degree and started his professional work. However, that lit of silent desire for art reechoed within him, so he moved to La Union, the country's surfing capital, where he continued to work with his paintings.
One of his notable artworks, “Boxer Slipper Painting-Colored,” is the image of the famous Philippine multi-belt title holder boxer Manny Pacquiao. This piece won third…
