Franklin Valencia, who signs his art “Caña” so that he is not to be confused with his brother, Magoo Valencia, was born in Calauag and grew up in Quezon City. His fascination with the fragmented images started in the streets of Kamuning at the age of 10. When he is shooting marbles with his playmates, he would peep through the tiny sphere to appreciate the magnificence of the broken images of the world – which he visualises as colourful patterns with myriad shapes and gradations. His works display kaleidoscopic formations of beautiful shapes and figures mostly moulded into half-moon patterns like letter C and D. Examining shapes and colours and looking at the play of shadow and light was irresistible to the young Caña - and in hindsight he recognises this as the wellspring of his visual language. A language which he now makes his presence felt, not only in the local scene but internationally as well, as he conquers Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Arizona.