Take a peek inside this small Boysen paint center. And by small, we really do mean the tiniest we have ever seen. We are proud to showcase the Boysen Bale Matua, a house and store miniature artwork by the talented Nhoda Muñoz.
You might have seen the viral miniature barong-barong house that made its way around social media a few months ago. It was by artist Nhoda Muñoz and, as one of its details, it had miniature versions of reused Boysen cans. One can was portrayed as a laundry pale and another as a trash can. Grateful for the inclusion, we interviewed Muñoz and featured him in a blog post (which you can find here).
Today, we are proud to say that we are now in possession of a one-of-a-kind Nhoda Muñoz art piece—a Boysen Bale Matua.
Bahay na Matanda
In an interview with us, Muñoz described it as the second of his Bale Matua pieces. Translated from Kapampangan, as the artist hails from Pampanga, “bale” means house and “matua” means old. So, the old house. In Filipino, Nhoda calls it the bahay na matanda.
It began when Boysen reached out to Muñoz asking if a commission for the paint company was possible. Muñoz shared that he was a fan of Boysen and uses its products for his projects. He happily accepted and gave suggestions on what the final work should be.
It was then agreed upon that the piece would be a 2-storey house with a paint center on the first floor and a home on the second. Deviating from his past projects of barong-barong homes, it would be in the architectural style of a 19th-century Filipino ancestral house.
“Ito yung first time ko gumawa ng ganitong bahay kasi mostly barong-barong yung mga ginagawa ko. Successful naman! Nakakatuwa,” said Muñoz. He had been looking forward to figuring out how to replicate the look of the Pinoy old houses, he added.
“Ito din yung unang paint center ko. Mostly kasi sa mga gawa ko ang tindahan ay yung sari-sari store. Meron ding rentahan ng komiks tsaka barbecuehan. Ito yung pinakaunang paint center.”
The Small Details
The company is not privy to the process of how he makes the house and its miniature objects—one has to make a living, after all. But he is particularly proud of how the Boysen Bale Matua lights up beautifully and that he was able to incorporate details about the company in miniature. Mini Easter eggs, if you will.
For example, spot inside the house photos hung on the walls of Boysen founders and its first employees. In the store, the boxes are modeled after the actual ones Boysen uses to transport and package its paint. He also enjoyed the little problem of how to make the tiny lids of paint containers.
“Naintriga ako kung paano ba gagawin yung takip. Kasi dati sa maga gawa ko na mga Boysen timba o basurahan, open lang siya. Na-challenge ako kung paano siya lalagyan ng takip na mukhang natural” he said cheerily.
“Naglalagay na talaga ako ng mga Boysen products dun sa mga artwork na binubuo ko noon. Boysen din yung pintura ko na gamit talaga. Pero hindi ko akalain na magko-commission sakin si Boysen.
“Marami rin nagko-comment [sa social media] na baka mai-sponsor ako ng Boysen o magpagawa sakin si Boysen. Nagkatotoo naman. Finally, nakagawa ako ng project para sa inyo,” said Muñoz.
The Boysen miniature is a reflection of not only the paint company’s indelible mark in the Philippines but also, importantly, the talent and skill of Filipinos. Muñoz’s creativity, eye for detail, and dedication to producing masterful work only further prove this.
Thank you for the Boysen Bale Matua, Nhoda Muñoz!
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