TOP PHOTO: Mary Jane Javier
Yes, she is ‘physically challenged’ but she is empowered by her talent—a powerful storytelling through her drawings and sketches.
Meet Mary Jane Javier, a 34-year old lass who has a knack in translating stories and emotions in her drawings and paintings.
Mary Jane lives in a pocket community in the middle of vast rice fields in Barangay Mayao Castillo in Lucena City.
She can’t walk since birth and her fingers can’t be bent, but she has a way of communicating through her drawings and sketches.
Eldest in a brood of eight, Mary Jane stopped schooling when she was in grade 4, bullied because of her disability.
She took solace in her drawings, starting with non-life like trees and flowers.
Slowly, she delved in portrait-making, discovering she can really paint, capturing the mood of her subjects.
She related that her moods and emotions sometimes influenced her works, prompting her to refrain from sketching and diverted herself with other mundane tasks.
Recently, one of her dreams was realized—that of going inside SM mall.
Rosalie Camonias, a local businesswoman, came to know Mary Jane and was moved by her story.
In celebration of Women’s Month, Ms. Camonias brought Mary Jane to SM Lucena and her paintings and drawings were displayed in a two-week exhibit of womens’ paintings inside the mall, from Mar. 5 to 20.
Today, Mary Jane’s works are more upbeat, reflecting a sunny disposition.
She encourages all women, especially those ‘physically challenged’ or ‘differently abled’ to pursue their dreams and continue to hone their talents to reach their dreams.
Started in 1927, the Philippines Graphic is the longest-running printed magazine of national circulation that provides relevant news and features and promotes Philippine literature.
