This was the question my younger self would always ask. My younger self would often ruminate on the reason as to why a simple art piece costs thousands of pesos. Now that I am quite older and have more wisdom, I am quite ashamed of the question that my younger self would always ask.

Back when I was young, maybe around 8 to 10 years ago, whenever we go to the mall or to an exhibit perhaps, I always get stunned by the artworks that I see because I am always in awe of the creativity that a person holds but what stunned me more was the price of the art piece. I was a naïve teenager who did not know much about how the world works much more the value behind a precious art work.

As I aged and have took greater leaps in this journey that we call life, I realized that I must be more open-minded. Instead of letting that certain question linger in my thoughts, I must take initiative to search for answers because apparently the world will not just simply give us a key to unlock certain door. In other words, we are responsible for satisfying our own curiosity.

Last Saturday, November 27, 2021, my best friend and I visited the "Visayas Art Fair 2021" with a theme "Connecting the Islands through Art". It was held at Montebello Villa Hotel which I believed was the perfect place for the art fair because the interior of the hotel looks like art itself. It was quite a spontaneous adventure because we just thought of visiting it after our flying yoga class which I shared in my previous blog post, if you want to see more of it you can click here.

The Visayas Art Fair is a 4-day art fair which featured a diversity of artworks of local artists across the islands of the Visayas. We visited a myriad of galleries and while going around, we witnessed different pop-up stalls, various installations by local artists, and there was even a performance by a live band. My best friend and I were so happy because it was a novel experience for the both of us and we were so fortunate to be able to visit as it was the second to the last day of the art fair.

While roaming around and appreciating the different paintings, installations, and the like, I started to slowly find answers to the question that my younger self would often ask. I began to have all sorts of realizations pertinent to art.

While looking at the different artworks, I began to realize that art is expensive because it is a depiction of the artist's life. There is a certain depth that each artwork holds and we may not be able to fathom its depth if we look at it through its monetary value. Its depth is appreciated when we begin to realize that the work is an epitome of the artist's existence. This is what gives him purpose. This is his life.

I also realized that art was not made for scrutiny. We may give certain meaning to art pieces but the purpose of art is appreciation. Its appreciating the capability and talent that a person holds and how every inch of his being has thought of making a piece so intricately made. There is a certain kind of sincerity that each art work brings.

Apart from those realizations, my visit together with my best friend gave me peace of mind. It was an escape from the hustle and bustle of my internship life. It was a time for me to bond with my bestfriend, one of the people that I value the most.

I know my younger self would thank me for sparing a meager portion of my time to seek for answers and to finally satisfy my curiosity. I know I shared this a bit too late since the art fair has already ended. However, I am so grateful to be able to share my thoughts regarding art and the value that each piece holds.

Don't forget to treat yourself like an artwork. You are valuable and you were intricately made by God, our own artist, not everyone may appreciate your value but the right ones will give their very best effort to do so.

Disclaimer: The artworks are owned by the artists themselves. However, photos were personally taken by the creator of this blog post. My sincerest apologies for my failure to recall the names of the artists including their artwork. If you do recognize their work, please comment below so that I will be informed as well. Also, the first photo was edited through Canva.

_{lifewithera is a 22-year old, college senior, an aspiring yogi, a furmom, and a wanderer, who writes stories about her personal life, mental health, fitness, travel, and just anything and everything her heart wants to speak. If you want to get to know her more, then you can connect with her through various social media platforms.}

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