Behind every Boysen mural are the people who worked hard to put them there. And, it’s more than likely Rene Oserin was one of them.
Anyone who braves the heavy traffic of Metro Manila will know—a little art on your daily commute goes a long, long way. Public murals bring life and color to otherwise arguably gray and lackluster public places. Something beautiful to look at even for a few seconds as you pass by is a welcome respite.
This type of artwork does not discriminate either. They’re there for all to see and whoever is willing to appreciate them. For artist and muralist Rene Oserin, it’s what he loves most about what he does.
“Nagkakaroon ng kulay ang paligid natin. ‘Yan ang libreng painting—nakikita ng lahat,” he says in a short documentary produced by Boysen about him. “Kapag sinabi nilang ‘ang ganda’, nakakatanggal ng pagod ‘yun.”
Titled Kalye Sining: Mga Likha ni Rene Oserin, the documentary was released just this year in conjunction with Boysen’s Manila Chinese Cemetery mural.
Boysen has been commissioning Oserin to work on murals since 2011. This means Boysen entrusts Oserin to turn an artwork, often also specifically commissioned from a local artist or agency, into a large-scale mural.
Oserin’s work would involve accurately scaling up the artwork, sketching its blown-up version on the surface, filling in the colors with a team of painters, and making any final corrections to ensure the artwork is replicated truthfully. A lot of the success of a mural rests on his shoulders.
You’ve likely spotted many of the Boysen murals he’s worked on. There’s GANAP in Makati which features marine life, long stretches along EDSA including at the Cubao-Aurora underpass and the Tree Lungs in Rockwell, and several for Boysen in support of Brigada Eskwela.
Oserin works on murals not just locally but internationally as well, including with artists from the U.S.A. and Australia. It wasn’t easy getting to where he is, though.
Coming to Manila from the province in the 90s, Oserin started out at an advertising agency that created hand-painted movie billboards. Nobody thought anything of him then, he says.
“Yung mga kasama kong artist, habang nagpa-practice ako, niloloko nila ako. Umuwi na lang daw ako ng probinsya dahil ‘di ako matututo. Umuwi na lang daw ako at mag-alaga ng baka,” recalls Oserin.
Nevertheless, he believed in his talent and he persevered. He first started with learning how to do lettering—there were always words on the movie billboards after all. When he could do that, he worked on getting better at sketching and drawing. Finally, he learned how to color his sketches with paint.
By then, Oserin had built himself a solid set of skills. Moreover, his capabilities had surpassed the very people who doubted him. “Lalo kong pinag-igtingan yung pag-aaral ko ng pagkukulay hanggang sa matuto ako, hanggang sa malampasan ko sila. Kasi ako nanananggapan na sa labas, sila hindi pa,” he says.
Today, Oserin is grateful that he can do what he loves for a living and that his work can bring joy to people. Importantly, he shares, that it also allows him to provide for his beloved wife and daughter.
When the Boysen Communications Department filmed him for the documentary, Oserin gracefully allowed the team into his home. His calm manner of speaking and cheerful nature make him an instantly likable and approachable individual. He has a ready smile for whoever he’s talking to. Perhaps part of it, indeed, comes from a fulfilled sense of purpose.
Boysen is likewise grateful that Oserin continues to create murals that bring color to our everyday lives.
Watch Kalye Sining: Mga Likha ni Rene Oserin in full:
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