작품 상세

Gumamela signed and dated 2002 (lower right) acrylic on canvas 36" x 30" (91 cm x 76 cm)   PROVENANCE West Gallery   While hibiscus plants’ meaning and symbolism differ across cultures, traditions, and even their colors, they generally symbolize beauty, femininity, and fleeting moments, alluding to their charm and short-lived blooms. With their visual appeal and antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, hibiscus plants are used as ornamental plants and decorative elements; brewed into an herbal tea that lowers blood pressure and improves heart health and immune system function; and as a medicinal plant for treating coughs and fevers. In the Philippines, it is popularly known as Gumamela and is commonly found everywhere—house and office gardens, schools, forests, and along streets. Lydia Velasco, in her 2002 Gumamela, used the plant as an analogy for her depiction of Filipina women: refined and delicate yet strong and resilient. (Jessica Magno)