To celebrate Mes CHamoru, Ture' Cafe in East Hagatna played host to local artist Paul Mendiola on Thursday night. From notable scenic views to marine life, Mendiola's paintings capture the spirit and beauty of Guam. 

Adorning the walls of Ture Cafe were several paintings of familiar picturesque landmarks on Guam - from Bear Rock in Inalahan to Fort Soledad in Humatak. The artwork was done by the 49-year-old Mendiola, who recalls the moment he got into art when he was young kid in the 80's, and his grandfather plopped a stack of white paper on the dining room table. He used that as an opportunity to doodle and draw.

"When he saw the drawings, he just couldn't stop raving about how his grandson is an artist" he recalled, "and ever since then, art had just been my thing."

 

 

From there, Mendiola would go on to win several local art competitions and was even afforded an opportunity to travel abroad for art workshops under a scholarship. As he got older, he still found time to hone his artistic skills enrolling in classes in art history, oil, and even sculptures. After living abroad for 20 years, he returned back to the island to practice dental hygiene and also share his love for art and inspire young students. 

However, it was at the start of the COVID pandemic when he was temporarily furloughed from his job where his love for painting was reignited after some much-needed soul-searching.

"I've just been producing art. So as of today, I've probably painted about 150 pieces and these pieces you can find throughout Guam restaurants and stuff like that," he shared.

Many of these pieces proudly displayed during a Mes CHamoru art show at Ture on Thursday evening. Where does Mendiola draw inspiration?

He said, "It's just the beauty of Guam. You don't really appreciate the beauty that you have here until you're gone. I was gone for roughly about 20 years and I remember living in California and I was always thinking about how green Guam was, how blue the sky was."

"The colors here on Guam are very highlighted. That's what captures me, just how well the lighting is here on Guam."

To learn more about mendiola and view more of his artwork, look for 'paul Mendiola' on Facebook and follow on Instagram @penturanchamorru.

"It's a great way just to share in your passion for the arts and I'm just truly grateful that I connect and bring folks to appreciate the arts," he said.