The Filipino in Me - Insights into Living Heritage
Entry by Dale James Urnos. Stony Plain, Alberta
Artist's Statement
I am Dale James Urnos, Filipino by heart and by spirit. I am a cook for 20 years and carving is one of my extra hobbies that helps me evolve for who am I today. Eagle is always my thing to carve. It gives me sense of my roots even when I am in Canada. The Philippine eagle is chosen as a national symbol as it represents the strength, uniqueness, a love for freedom, and power of the Filipino people but losing them to extinction would mean losing a nation's precious biological heritage.
But not Filipinos that I know around the world. We are unique, and extinct with strength and power specially when it comes to family. Just like an eagle we have extremely powerful vision, fearless and tenacious to achieve our goal. We are opportunity strikers too just like an eagle. We never easily give up for chances, we always take it an opportunity for change to survive and make room for self-improvement to grow and mature. We soar high just like an eagle too. Filipinos always soar high because we know the value of work with ethics and that makes us great as an individual.
My carving is made up of butternut squash with inspiring details through the feathers that make it realistic. Passion is the key to every success that I have, without this I can never see the greater inside of me.
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