I met Tara in 2011 during the Axis Art Festival ( Baguio City). She has this strong female persona, it is easy for her to stand out from the crowd because she sways to her own music.
A real Cordilleran beauty, with a strong persona---- Tara Natividad has created a signature for herself and there is no one like her.
During her first solo exhibition, Natividad focused on the folk stories that are being passed from one generation to another while visiting places in the Cordillera Region.
The fairies in her works are not magical fairies, rather they are the fairies in the mountains of the Cordilleras.
Her trademark work medium is sued oil with dreamlike colors. Her works invite the viewer to understand better the culture of the highlands and the many stories that need to be heard by the new generation.
Tara Natividad is a traveling artist, she was once quoted saying that she is privileged to have heard of folktales from local elders wherever she goes in the Cordilleras.
She feels that it is her obligation to share the stories she has heard for the next generation, to inform other people about the importance of the verbal accounts that have been passed from one generation to another.
She as already explored areas like Abra, Sadanga, Kalinga, Bontoc, Sagada, Sabanga and Ifugao and this has deepened her knowledge about the highland way of life.
Tara Lalaine Natividad, is one of the most respected female artist in Baguio City.
She has chosen to focus on her artistry, and despite the hardships of being a single mother- she continues to believes in mastery of her craft.
Choosing to become an artist is not an easy task, especially in the Philippine setting.
Many have yet to realize the value of art, and only a few delve into the question of how art can become sustainable in the long run.
If you want to experience the freedom of travel and exploring different communities in order to share your artistry, there is always the question of how you will support yourself.
But it is artists like Tara Natividad who continue to challenge the idea that in focusing on art you have no future-- there is a way to bridge the gap.
While there are many female artists in Baguio City, I have specifically chosen to write about Tara because she was able to transform herself--- she is undergoing an organic process--she expresses herself freely and she is the most sincere person I know.
Sincerity is a language that each artist must know in order for their work to transcend the walls of reality...
Only a few remain focused on their craft, only a few have the strength to continue painting and exploring their artistic life after giving birth to a child.
Tara despite the many challenges was able to rise above this.
Tara Natividad has explored on the concept of Diwatas as part of her earlier works, to her " Diwatas are nature dwellers". In fact, when you look at Tara you will begin to see a reflection of an ancient goddess...an old soul.
She is painting her concept of Diwatas as a way to signify the need of humans for nature preservation.
She paints Fairies-- because in a world that is constantly being changed by steel, plastic and concrete it is only in paintings that we can experience the expression of nature.
Artist nowadays need to explore, they need not get stuck in one genre. Tara in her pursuit for deeper reflection has also participated in various artistic expressions.
She is also a performance artist, she has participated in a play called "Bakata: Battle of the Street Poets" which was presented at TIU theater, Makati in 2015. The play was able to get the attention of the Aliw Awards Committee and it was able to win the " Best Children's Musical Production".
Tara Natividad through hard work and perseverance became one of the three women amongst Tam-Awan artists, this is not an easy task considering that the visual arts industry in the Cordilleras is still largely male dominated.
“When women
have children of their own, they almost always give up their artistic pursuits
and concentrate on their family life”- Tara Natividad
According to her, only a few female artists are being taken seriously, but none of these hindrances deter her from creating art.
She is determined to make her mark in the local industry, she continues to paint and explore other forms of craft making including that of origami folding and paper mache creation.
Her level of work has even deepened after giving birth, there is depth and insight. You see an inner goddess in Tara Natividad.
As a female artist Tara remains original, a breath of fresh air and one of the most sincere female artists I have encountered.
When she performs on stage, you can feel genuine emotions-- an honesty that is rare in the world nowadays.
When she performs on stage, you can feel genuine emotions-- an honesty that is rare in the world nowadays.
Apart from her visual work, the way she pursues other community theater projects in the Philippines like Abra and Vigan allow her to create a niche that is of her own making.
She has already exhibited her works at the Artist Space Ayala Museum, and she has already been featured in a TVA Group Show ( Singapore) with the segment Tapestry or lives and she is also providing Dream catcher and sand art lessons as part of her community workshops.
Tara Lalaine Natividad is worth noticing, with a trail of noteworthy projects in her belt and a heart that has remained true to the creative arts, it is nothing less than a blessing to have her here in the physical form.
