Aze Ong's light, healing touch and crochet art

The last time I saw crochet artist Aze Ong, she was leading guests, mainly students and teachers, in a dance at the opening of the group exhibition called "Lima-lima" at the San Beda Museum in Alabang Hill in December last year.

She let the audience hold her "instruments" or wear her creations. I haven't quite forgotten that because pictures of that evening help me remember. I've also stored some of her words in my files.

That's Aze at left beating a rhythm with her hands as teachers let go

Aze once went through what she calls her "lost" period. It's nothing unusual for artists and writers. She went to Bukidnon during that period to do volunteer work so she could try living away from her comfort zone and her family. That period taught her resourcefulness and the ability to listen to the silence within and without. She lived atop a hill with a view of mountains, trees, vegetation. Sometimes she saw eagles. Wild sunflowers grew and thrived in the cool climate.

Living with the Talaandig tribe also made her see that "art and life flow together, that art is life seen in the rituals for harvesting, their marriage rites and birthdays. Dancing and singing--it's a way of life."

After processing that whole experience, one day she finally saw the light. She realized that she didn't  have to belong to a tribe to make art or to perform. She said, "I just follow my instincts and do it. This [immersion]  is an experience I always go back to and share with others. That sharing of yourself to others is the best gift you can give to them.This made me realize the beauty in imperfection. There is no perfect world, no perfect people. Imperfection makes it perfect!"

Her works bring to mind the colors of butterfly wings or what one imagines to be colors of angel wings. It's no coincidence that Aze believes that wings are the symbols of freedom. She says, "When we are enlightened, we are free."

Woman shakes an Aze-made percussion instrument.

Aze, the woman in purple, with fellow travelers and seekers. On the left wall are framed paper cuts of Sinag de Leon who's holding a papier mache horse (called taka in Laguna) with a decopage of her paper cuts.