Joy, a prolific artist, has been exhibiting his works since 2014. His first solo show, “Strong Material,” was presented in 2017. Joy had six solo exhibitions as well as several group exhibits in less than a decade. He wasn’t painting then, at least not publicly. But when he did, what first showed up was masterful strokes showing handsome horses in full gallop! This was probably an aftermath of his work in the Philippine Racing Commission.

“My inspiration to paint came from my sister who took up fine arts in the 1970s for two years at PWU (Philippine Women’s University),” Joy says modestly. He was the youngest of six children, the “bunso” of the family.

Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas, has worn too many hats to count. He is a lawyer, a columnist-writer, a former radio host, a lay minister, and a sportsman. He was in government service, the vice-chairman and general manager of PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office)” from 2010 to 2016. But one thing is certain: He will always be an artist at heart.” He is a member of the Saturday Group of artists and is married to Atty. Patricia A.O. Bunye.

Joy admits to filling his notebooks from grade school to high school with drawings and sketches. He had a distinguished career as a lawyer, and art took a back seat, albeit temporarily. Away from government service, he had an outstanding stint handling huge funds for charitable purposes at the PCSO. It took time before he blossomed to be a full-time artist. From his home to his workspace, he designed the interiors, which also helped him develop the composition of his artworks.

The paintings were quickly bought by horse enthusiasts and his popularity grew. Now Joy dabbles in sculpture with interesting subjects like father and daughter for his whimsical resin and marble Unica Hija 5, the cross of Christ, saints, and heroes. Indeed his journey through adventurous and amazing landscapes has made him an artist to the core. He is now in the abstract genre, which he has so mastered it that he is now counted among the best in the field.   

In some paintings, the abstraction is used as a framing device to highlight stenciled images of heroes and saints, with the passages of textures and marbling of pigments providing a visual accompaniment to the figures. These works mediate the artist’s contemplation of faith, religion, and art itself.