Sally Ponce Enrile: Up Close and Personal

Meet Sally Ponce Enrile — an inspiring woman just like her paintings. That is actually an understatement. She is inspiring because she radiates humble confidence and grace. Sally has that rare quality of consistently acting and speaking from a place of truthful gratitude from the heart; being gracious toward others at all times. She exudes true modest assurance, and yes, that is inspiring.

Sally exudes compassion and kindness by dealing with situations and people with altruism in her heart. She allows her inner creativity to flow and she embraces it with much passion. With Sally, everything comes from her heart. Oh, and not to mention she is a dead ringer for the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton! She is also consistently recognized as one of the best dressed Women in the Philippines.

Sally earned her master’s degree in Psychology from Assumption College, in the Philippines. She also received her college degree at Christian Heritage College, California. On top of these, Sally has a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University and is a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society. Whew! What a multiple-threat!

Sally is the Founder & Co-Chairperson at First Shoshin Holdings Inc., an investment firm which focuses on financial technology startups. She is the wife of former Congressman Jack Enrile of the 1st District of Cagayan, which makes her the daughter-in-law of THE Juan Ponce Enrile Sr. She is also a mother to Sara and Sam. However, she is more than someone’s wife, mother, and daughter-in-law. Sally was an astute politician — she was Representative of the 1st District of Cagayan in the Congress of the Philippines, serving for two terms from 2007-2010 and 2013-2016.

Her political background gave her the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in touch with real life challenges everyday people deal with: extreme poverty. She has devoted her life through charities and helping the underprivileged.

Her charities have inspired her to create art as a platform to voice her experiences with people from all walks of life. She is a gifted and a well-respected global Expressionist painter. Sally is an artist-in-residence at Rossocinabro Gallery, Rome, and is currently represented by several galleries in Europe and New York.

When asked about which female artists inspired her the most, “Georgia O’Keeffe made a lasting impression on my journey as a self-taught artist. Her interpretation of nature, translating them into a fusion of realism and abstract beauty while exuding radical feminist sensibilities is awe-inspiring. I am moved by her artistic flair and ingenuity to turn one of the most commonly painted subjects such as flowers into one of the world’s striking set of art pieces,” Sally responded.

“I’m also inspired by Joan Mitchell. Her large-scale works made with colourful, aggressive and energetic strokes show her magnetism and allure. This made her an indelible force in abstract expressionism and modern art,” she added.

Sally’s artistic style does not express objective reality, but rather the subjective responses and emotions that events and objects arouse within a person. “It begins with a strong idea. My work is inspired and energized by everything around me. It could be a dream, an experience, a person, a place, an event, or just as simple as the urge to release powerful  thoughts and emotions from within and lay it all out on a blank canvas in a burst of creative explosion,” enthused Sally.

“The world I exist in and all things that transpire in it makes it almost instinctual to pick up a brush. It pulls me into an intuitive process that guides and dictates the flow of paint and consciousness into my art,” said Sally.

When it comes to lessons learned as an artist, Sally mentioned, “Outright rejection. It transformed me into a more passionate artist. Getting rejected early on was the impetus that drove me to work tirelessly, develop my form and rediscover myself until I was able to say that my work is good enough.”

“Painting for myself is an exhilarating experience. It’s not so much as seeking validation and appreciation from audiences but more of achieving a higher purpose through my love for art. Each day I am reinvigorated as an artist with the knowledge that my passions have helped individuals, families and communities with the proceeds of my artwork going to charity,” explained Sally.

When asked about which subjects she always wanted to paint, Sally replied, “Nudes. The human form is art and beauty in itself. I am fascinated by its anatomical artistry. It’s incredible that some artists are able to capture the human body’s elegance into refined pieces of art.”

Sally also pointed out that if there was one thing she could change about the art industry, it would be inclusivity. “Art should be accessible for everyone to enjoy, inspire and create. There are outstanding yet marginalized artists whose works are worthy to be exposed and appreciated by the world but are granted lesser opportunities to truly shine. Regrettably, those who are promoted and marketed by art patrons, galleries, and museums are the ones with the privilege to showcase their talents on a grander scale,” Sally said. 

“In the digital age, the gap is widened further. Popularity and sales are now more hinged on the artist’s skill in representing their brand virtually. This creates a more challenging situation for artists who have limited knowledge and access to technology. The artist’s dream is to pour their heart and soul into their art, reach a level of excellence by virtue of their peers and sustain a quality of life through profitability. I hope to see this dream realized for the art industry in the years to come,” added Sally.

Regarding female artists representation in the art industry, “The presence of women in the art industry is fractionally represented. Works by female artists only consist of a small portion in lasting art collections and exhibits,” Sally said with a tinge of sadness.

“Historically, women have been limited to explore artistry and training which has always been dominated by men. It’s not easy to unravel the reasons why artworks by female artists are valued less. There are cultural biases, misaligned gallery representations and deeply ingrained sociological notions of gender to be considered. It will prove to be a fight to give women more liberties in art. We’re not quite there yet but I am hopeful,” Sally elaborated further.

Does this Expressionist extraordinaire have success habits to share? “My  first solo show was held last March 2018. Since then, I have participated in over 40 exhibits both locally and internationally. It is quite ironic that my work was first introduced in Spain and New York before doing exhibits in the Philippines,” she answered.

“My path as an artist is a long and winding road. There will be disappointments and celebrations. My idea of success is more on how an artist never stops evolving. There is no denying the importance of promoting one’s art but we should not lose the passion to create, to be curious, adventurous and experiment with different techniques and unique styles. As I keep honing my skills, each piece of work becomes a journey towards self-discovery,” added Sally.

Being a mother, a wife, a Founder of her own company and an esteemed artist, is an extreme juggling act and surely, she must be constantly making tough decisions. “It was excruciatingly difficult to part with my young kids when I was a public servant for our district. The duties and responsibilities I had for the citizens required hours of travel and weeks of separation. However, I knew that my work as a politician is also crucial in building a future where my own kids and the youth can thrive,” said Sally.

Pray tell, how did she balance being a mother, an artist and as a politician? What has she sacrificed at each stage of her career? “My children are now all grown up and I have switched careers to become the Co-founder and CFO of a rapidly progressing tech company. It has become much easier to balance time with work, family and for myself. While in a Zoom meeting about new product features, I can paint and also attend to my son’s needs while he’s at the university in Australia. When work finishes, there’s still hours left in my day to make tea for my daughter and spend quality moments with the family,” answered Sally.

“That is the joy technology brings. It’s more efficient to be productive and allows us to accomplish great things from the confines of our homes,” she added.

Sally shared, “Professionally, our work in technology gave me an avenue to learn a variety of ways to develop services in blockchain, payment systems, tele-consultation, financial technology and logistics. It’s both fulfilling and amusing to realize how my artistic eye can improve the user’s experience on our web and mobile applications.”

She is also currently working on an exciting project. “There is also an upcoming group show for Women’s Month that I’m excited to be a part of.  True to my ideas of how an artist should evolve, I am moving outside of my comfort zone to try something new. It could be perceived as “kitsch art” but as long as it conveys my message and sentiments, I will be happy with it,” she said.

What I personally admire about Sally is her kind demeanour. She’s extremely grounded and even-keeled. She’s down-to-earth and always supportive of other women and her friends. For someone so highly accomplished, she is modest and humble — in a totally genuine manner. Yes, benevolence constantly drips off her! That’s Sally Ponce Enrile for you — up close and personal.