Maria Pureza Escaño’s ‘Sweet Encounter,’ a watercolor painting completed in 2010, captures a quiet exchange between a young girl and a seagull. One of her earlier works, it reflects a time when she painted as a form of healing, revisiting themes of childhood and memory.
The girl tilts her face toward the bird, her expression somewhere between awareness and reverie. The wind stirs her hair as the seagull’s beak brushes against it—a brief yet meaningful moment. Soft washes of color and muted tones create a gentle atmosphere, evoking nostalgia and the traces of distant memories. The sky behind her, with its shifting clouds, suggests both movement and stillness, as if the past and present are quietly meeting.
The seagull seems to carry a message, something the girl may need to hear. It recalls the spirit of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, where freedom and self-discovery take flight. More than a passing presence, the bird offers reassurance—a quiet understanding
At its heart, ‘Sweet Encounter’ reflects the process of rediscovery—the moments when one reconnects with a part of themselves that has faded into memory. Escaño’s work often captures these fleeting but meaningful experiences, where a simple gesture or presence stirs something deep within. The painting invites reflection on the quiet, often unnoticed emotions that shape us.
Escaño, known for her large-scale murals and religious iconography, has exhibited in New York, Paris, Berlin, and other major art centers. A multidisciplinary artist, she works across painting, sculpture, and large-scale commissions, moving between realism, surrealism, and avant-garde religious imagery. Yet her earlier works remain deeply personal, rooted in emotion and memory.
Now part of a private collection, ‘Sweet Encounter’ was one of the pieces Escaño donated to the Scholarship of Hope, a charity founded by the late Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro and managed by the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Community to support underprivileged children.
Through art, she found reflection and healing, and in turn, she extends that gift to others, helping children gain access to education and new opportunities.
Though her focus has since shifted, Escaño’s work continues to explore the search for meaning. She now paints forestscapes — immersive depictions of light, shadow, and the quiet presence of nature. While different in subject, these works share the same desire to capture joy, peace, and beauty.
‘Sweet Encounter’ lingers between recognition and memory, between what is fleeting and what endures. While her later works have grown in scope, this painting remains an anchor in her journey, an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the child who waits to be seen.
