Three women artists share their stories of love and loss through their works
I often hear how the arts nurture identity, deepen empathy, strengthen communities, and enhance overall well-being. Yet, when faced with deep, pressing emotions that mirror one’s present reality, it can be difficult to see art as something essential—though, at times, it may be exactly what helps one hold on.
A few weeks ago, I met the women artists Bing Famoso, Jamie Samson, and Gretchen Taruc, who stand as living proof of how art can shape and transform lives. They are the featured artists in Robinsons Land ARTablado’s latest exhibit, In Her Warmth, on view until the end of May at The Gallery Bar of Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria.
Each artist brings her own story of loss, healing, and discovery to the exhibit, expressed in a distinct and personal voice that reflects the warmth, tenderness, and resilience art can provide. From intimate emotions to powerful reflections on womanhood, their works reveal the many ways art can illuminate the world around them—and how their spirit as women strengthens their resolve.
Mothering nature
Known for her paintings of Philippine flora and fauna, particularly the Philippine Eagle, Famoso has long been a dedicated environmental advocate. She uses her art as a platform to promote environmental awareness and conservation, while also educating others about the richness of Philippine wildlife.
Her foray into Philippine flora and fauna began at a tree-planting event in Benguet, where cherry blossom saplings were introduced despite not being native to the country. This led her to explore indigenous flowers, eventually discovering Flora de Filipinas, a 19th-century botanical work by Augustinian botanist Manuel Blanco, which revealed uncredited Filipino contributors and outdated species names.
The discovery prompted a shift from her usual mother-and-child subjects to Philippine endemic flowers in 2017. A year later, she approached the National Museum of Natural History to propose a floral artists’ group, where she met botanists Dr. Edwin Tadiosa and John Rey Callado and shared her vision of reviving botanical art.
“Who would have thought that I, a 44-year-old housewife who had never held a nine-to-five job, would go on to start something so significant?” shared Famoso.
She later established the Philippine Botanical Art Society (FilBAS) and the Philippine Fauna Art Society (PhilFAS), promoting conservation through art and supporting scientific illustration. A graduate of Philippine Arts at the University of the Philippines–Manila, with further training from the University of Newcastle, Australia, she also donates Philippine Eagle paintings through her AGILAkbay Project to Philippine Foreign Service Posts worldwide.
Several years ago, Famoso was diagnosed with lupus, a turning point that deepened her resolve to continue documenting the country’s biodiversity through art while staying grounded in her purpose.
Reclaiming the canvas
“Art has saved me.”
This is something that struck me the most when I was talking to Jamie Samson during the exhibit opening. It underscores the impact of art in one’s life, serving as proof of its intangible influence and how creativity can become both a refuge and a means of rediscovering oneself.
For two decades, Samson set aside her first love—the arts—for the demands of the corporate world, where earning and providing took priority. In the pace of the corporate rat race, creativity took a backseat as she focused on building a career and meeting practical obligations.
Yet her early connection to art never fully disappeared, quietly waiting until she found her way back.
As a child, she enjoyed drawing, often tracing Japanese anime cards, which helped shape her visual sensibilities. She later pursued an art degree at the UP College of Fine Arts, where she was introduced to the experimental approaches of Pablo Picasso and the cultural dynamism of Andy Warhol, influences seen in her Cubist Pop Art style.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, while navigating bipolar disorder, she returned to art as a refuge. Her style—with fractured forms, layered compositions, and recurring motifs of eyes—reflects her journey through emotional complexity toward clarity.
In 2023, she left the corporate world and returned to her first love, beginning to make her mark through exhibitions in Manila and abroad.
Continuing the promise
One of the most painful moments for a mother is holding the hand of her dying child. This was true for artist Gretchen Taruc when her eldest son passed away at the age of 16 after battling cancer.
Her experience was marked not only by grief but also by an overwhelming sense of helplessness and quiet surrender. For her, it was a moment where love and loss exist side by side, as she tries to find comfort while facing the reality of saying goodbye.
Art became a shared bond between her and her late son. Like her own experience learning from her father, her son was self-taught, discovering his love for art through her.
Even during hospitalization, he continued creating art—driven by a desire to leave something behind and inspire fellow patients with hope.
After his death, Taruc set aside painting for months, as grief made it difficult to return to what once connected them. She could no longer find joy in their shared love for art or see canvases the same way.
Months later, she dreamed of her son holding two white balloons and one red one, smiling gently. The image felt like a message, reminding her of her promise to continue painting. She began to see it as a sign to release her grief and slowly found her way back.
In Her Warmth is among her first exhibits after her loss. Here, she returns to a more vibrant palette, shifting from the darker tones of her earlier works. Her compositions feature faceless figures within geometric blocks of warm color, directing attention to body language and quiet family moments.
