Meeting Onib Olmedo

I was visiting the Philippines in 1987 when I met Onib Olmedo. We quickly became engaged in a grudge match playing chess. He won. I won. He won. Nothing was said. I don't remember either of us introducing ourselves. This went on for several days. There was no love lost and we began a game with just a gesture to play.

One day I noticed a book next to our chessboard of Filipino master paintings in museums in Manila   and as I began to leaf through the book I saw some paintings which overpowered me. In the middle of the game I stood up and said, "Who is this painter? Where can I see his paintings? Is he dead or alive?"

There was a silence and then the Filipino next to me said, "You are playing him." I looked down and could not look up during a long silence and then I looked up and asked if he was the painter. He said yes. It was Onib olmedo.

I asked Onib if I could perhaps buy some of his paintings and during a short period of time he painted  paintings of which I purchased all of them except one.

I also called the U.S. Embassy and asked them if they could help with getting Onib a visa to come to the U.S. and asked a friend if she was interested in hosting a showing of his paintings at her gallery, the Crane Gallery, in Florida which she did. Onib stayed with us for several days while he was in the U.S. and during two trips to the Philippines I bought Onib's paintings whenever he showed me his paintings. We played a lot of chess and talked a lot about the Philippines. Onib graciously and kindly answered my many questions.

One day I was sitting in the Pensione where he came frequently and I noticed Onib quietly leaving the pensione with a camera hung around his neck. I asked someone next to me where Onib was going. He said Onib was going to photograph the elections. At that time photographing polling places and the elections was a dangerous thing to do. He was quietly leaving with his camera, stepping out into the street.