THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 2, 1994 TAG: 9408310106
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 3B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
When Wilfredo Quilon, 38, was a kid growing up in the Philippine province of Zambales, he prayed for one wish to come true.
While he sat through Mass with his mother, Corazon, Quilon stared at the sculptures and statues around the church, wondering how they were crafted.
``I thought, `There must be a secret in doing these sculptures,' '' he said. ``I prayed I would learn the secret.''
After years of practice, school and advice from a mentor, Quilon's prayers were answered. Now, instead of dreaming about creating sculptures, he stares at his own art during Mass. His most recent accomplishment, a statue of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino martyr, sits at the front of St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Virginia Beach.
``Carving is what I really love to do,'' said Quilon, who came to this country in 1986. ``I really enjoy it.''
The San Lorenzo Ruiz statue, which stands a little more than 5 feet tall, was merely two blocks of wood in its early stages. When he began the project last October, Quilon chose to use maple for the head and hands and poplar for the body.
For 10 months, Quilon carved and shaped the wood with his own handmade gouges and chisels in the garage of his Indian Lakes home. Ankle deep in wood chips, he spent his evenings perfecting the statue, while his wife stood back and videotaped his progress.
Quilon finished the job by sanding and painting the hard wood and adding fine details, such as goat hair eyelashes, to bring the more than 100-pound statue of Ruiz to life.
``It is the most real life statue I have ever seen,'' said Sandi Lahouchuc, chairman of the building fund-raiser. ``The in-depth detail of this art work is one in a million. This statue speaks of this man's God-given talent.''
Lahouchuc said two puzzled parishoners who thought the statue was a real man approached her husband, Joe, asking why he was standing still for so long.
The church, which paid him for his work from the proceeds of a fund-raiser, has asked him to begin another sculpture. This time, Quilon will create the ``Infant of Prague'' statue.
Although he makes his living as an artist at Owen Foundry in Norfolk, sculpting is merely a hobby. Quilon figured he has made close to 150 statues over the years.
Quilon began experimenting with carving as a youth by sneaking into his father's tool box while he slept. With no knowledge of sculpting, he chipped away at blocks of wood with a chisel and hammer, making small religious statues, such as the crucifixion and the Virgin Mary.
``I love religious statues,'' he said.
His father, Ludovico, who made his living as a carpenter, had no idea Quilon was using his tools. One day, while he hacked at a tree in the backyard, his father woke up and asked why he was destroying his favorite tree.
``I felt a big whack on my butt,'' he said. ``It was a piece of bamboo.''
After Quilon explained to his father that the tree would soon become a sculpture of ``Our Lady of Lourdes,'' there were no complaints. ``My father said, `OK son, go ahead and finish,' '' he recalled. ``So I did.''
Now, 30 years later, Quilon still follows that advice.
``I won't give up no matter how hard the sculpture is,'' he said. ``If you feel like you're inclined to that job, you have to finish. There's always a solution.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JO-ANN CLEGG
Wilfredo Quilon, 38, shows his daughter, Vangel, 6, his statue of
San Lorenzo Ruiz.
by CNB