I have known Pedro, whom I call “Peter” or “Pete,” since my college days, when we were still in the major seminary. Not having seen him for a long time, I was curious about what he had been doing with his life.
I inquired about the inspiration for his artworks. He replied: “Since high school, I have always loved to draw and even got to be a designer for our school paper. My plan for college was to take up Fine Arts to pursue my passion for drawing. Even when I didn’t continue on this course upon entering the seminary, my love for arts motivated me to become a member of the Arts Committee during my seminary days. Recently, the urge to draw came back again, and I would start to draw on the back of receipts every time I went to coffee shops or restaurants. Then one day, the digital drawing app on iPad caught my attention. I was amazed at how it was possible to draw digitally on the iPad using only my fingers, without paint or paint tools. I continued drawing almost daily, trying to develop my skills in digital drawing.”
His Christmas and Advent designs caught my attention on Facebook. His explanation was: “My idea of doing the Christmas and Advent designs was to inform people about the season we are living in right now, and to share the joy of the season through my drawings. Christmas is a joyful season and, at the same time, a season of hope. Such joy and hope are what I want to impart to everyone through my simple drawings.
And for somebody diagnosed with a grave illness, I’m glad to still be alive. Christmas gives me hope to continue my life journey, and to share the joy of being loved by other people and by God, who is the real reason for the season.” Here is his message to our New City readers: “As we still face this pandemic today, let us continue to hope for a better tomorrow through God’s grace. Christmas is for everybody. Let us continue to be a spark of joy and hope to everyone this Christmas, especially to those who are lost and considered the least.”
We thank Peter for his cover design for the December 2020 issue of New City, and ask God to bless him with good health in the years to come!
Jose Aranas
Pedro Enriquez Galvez Jr. finished his M.A. in Pastoral Theology at San Carlos Graduate School of Theology in Makati City. He has been Campus Minister at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in Manila, and later at De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in Muntinlupa City since 2003.
