With that said, it should be an exciting year for this blog. :) Happy 2013!
Monday, December 31, 2012
It's a brand new year and I thought, I miss writing about the Arts. And last night, I decided that I would revive this blog. Only difference is that I will no longer just write about the Arts here in the Philippines. Since I've done a lot of travelling in the past year, I thought why stop. I should be writing about the galleries I visit in other parts of the world, talk with artists, and feature photos of practically any form of art I come across.
With that said, it should be an exciting year for this blog. :) Happy 2013!
With that said, it should be an exciting year for this blog. :) Happy 2013!
Monday, April 20, 2009
RAUL G. ISIDRO, a multi-awarded painter in Philippine contemporary art will open his 50th solo exhibit of recent acrylic paintings to be presented by Yellow Door Gallery at R1 Corridor, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati, at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2009 and will run through April 30, 2009. Just last year, Isidro held his 40th Retrospective Exhibit at the Main Gallery of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) which showcased a series of artworks done by the artist since 1968.
CCP President and Artistic Director Nestor O. Jardin wrote, “…As a leading and influential artist of our times, Raul Isidro’s unstinting devotion and dedication to his craft, coupled with his single-minded advocacy for the preeminence of the Filipino talent became an inspiration to aspiring young artists. To this, we pay tribute to a man whose exceptional talents and achievements exemplify the true Filipino artist…” Corporate and private art collectors here and abroad who speculate on the works of Isidro recognize its appreciation equally in aesthetic and investment value per se.
As a former member of the academe, Isidro was appointed as one of the youngest directors of the PWU’s College of Fine Arts in 1975. in 1979 was chosen as “The Outstanding Young Man of the Philippines (TOYM)” in the field of fine arts for his achievements and contribution in Philippine art and in 1997 received the Araw ng Maynila “Patnubay ng Sining at Kaliningan” award. The University of Santo Tomas has awarded him “The Outstanding Thomasian Award for Visual Arts” in 2006. In 1981, Isidro was given a Cultural Grant by the Australian Foreign Affairs and he lectured about Philippine art at selected universities in the cities of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. In 1972, his two entries in the National PAP Print Competition won him both the Grand Prize and the First Prize. Isidro has joined and won in the 1968 AAP Outdoor Sculpture Competition for the Luneta Park and in the painting competition of AAP in 1969 and other major art competitions in the country.
He was selected in 1983 as president of the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP). From 2001 through 2006, he became president of the Philippine Association of Printmakers (PAP). During his term as PAP head, Isidro with a team of artists conducted hands on exposure on the diverse techniques in the art of printmaking to the local communities of artists in more than 20 provinces and likewise lectured on art in certain universities in Metro Manila.
As a Visayan artist himself, Isidro was invited to the prestigious Cebu VIVA Excon (Visayas Visual Artists) in 2008 as one of the exhibiting artists. Earlier this year, he lectured on art at the Cebu Convention Center during the One Visayas Cultural, Tourism and Trade Convention, composed of delegates from 16 provinces of Eastern and Western Visayas.
FOR INQUIRIES AND TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE, PLEASE CALL/SEND AN SMS TO 0920.962.43.47 or email inquiry@yellowdoorgallery.net.
CCP President and Artistic Director Nestor O. Jardin wrote, “…As a leading and influential artist of our times, Raul Isidro’s unstinting devotion and dedication to his craft, coupled with his single-minded advocacy for the preeminence of the Filipino talent became an inspiration to aspiring young artists. To this, we pay tribute to a man whose exceptional talents and achievements exemplify the true Filipino artist…” Corporate and private art collectors here and abroad who speculate on the works of Isidro recognize its appreciation equally in aesthetic and investment value per se.
As a former member of the academe, Isidro was appointed as one of the youngest directors of the PWU’s College of Fine Arts in 1975. in 1979 was chosen as “The Outstanding Young Man of the Philippines (TOYM)” in the field of fine arts for his achievements and contribution in Philippine art and in 1997 received the Araw ng Maynila “Patnubay ng Sining at Kaliningan” award. The University of Santo Tomas has awarded him “The Outstanding Thomasian Award for Visual Arts” in 2006. In 1981, Isidro was given a Cultural Grant by the Australian Foreign Affairs and he lectured about Philippine art at selected universities in the cities of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. In 1972, his two entries in the National PAP Print Competition won him both the Grand Prize and the First Prize. Isidro has joined and won in the 1968 AAP Outdoor Sculpture Competition for the Luneta Park and in the painting competition of AAP in 1969 and other major art competitions in the country.
He was selected in 1983 as president of the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP). From 2001 through 2006, he became president of the Philippine Association of Printmakers (PAP). During his term as PAP head, Isidro with a team of artists conducted hands on exposure on the diverse techniques in the art of printmaking to the local communities of artists in more than 20 provinces and likewise lectured on art in certain universities in Metro Manila.
As a Visayan artist himself, Isidro was invited to the prestigious Cebu VIVA Excon (Visayas Visual Artists) in 2008 as one of the exhibiting artists. Earlier this year, he lectured on art at the Cebu Convention Center during the One Visayas Cultural, Tourism and Trade Convention, composed of delegates from 16 provinces of Eastern and Western Visayas.
FOR INQUIRIES AND TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE, PLEASE CALL/SEND AN SMS TO 0920.962.43.47 or email inquiry@yellowdoorgallery.net.
Pixel Perfect – The Exhibition
by Henry Bateman
Opening Reception 6pm to 9pm Tuesday 21 April 2009
Following the publication of his third book of photography, Pixel Perfect, photographic artist Henry Bateman will exhibit the works from the book at Sining Kamalig Art Gallery from April 21 to May 12 2009.
Pixel Perfect – The Exhibition, will show case the eight works in the book which are comprised of 45 digitally abstracted photographs. Made over the three year period, 2006 to 2008, these photographs explore Bateman’s coming to terms with the culture shock of emigrating from Australia to the Philippines.
Inspired by the Philippines, its land and its people, Bateman uses his camera to investigate his reaction to the scenes that surround him. From his first Christmas in these Islands in the triptych “Seasons Greetings” to dealing with government bureaucracy in “2 416 329 X” Bateman looks beneath the surface appearance of his photographs to explore the “why” of his camera captures.
By investigating the basic digital structure, the pixel, of his photographs he abandons the surface appearance by digitally abstracted them. And like abstract paintings, Bateman’s photographs extend beyond the limitations of the representational. Each of his photographs is printed as an archival inkjet on canvas and displayed as a series to make a work that explores an idea or theme.
Bateman has been working with digital photography for only nine years, prior to that he was a painter and a theatrical set and lighting designer. But in this relatively short time his work has gained international recognition with an exhibition at the Australian National University in 2007 and an invitation to exhibit his work at the 2009 Florence Biennale in Italy in December.
Pixel Perfect – The Exhibition, will be Bateman’s third solo show in the Philippines and although published in book form it will be the first exhibition of these photographs as cohesive works of art. Each photograph measures 20”x 48” which makes the 12 photographs of the “Broken Spaces” work a massive 80”x144” exploration of the adoption of a new cultural identity.
Pixel Perfect – The Exhibition is on show at Sining Kamalig Gallery, 4th level, Gateway Mall, Arenata Center, Cubao, Quezon City from the 21 April to 12 May. The opening reception will be from 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday 21 April.
For more information visit
http://auspat.blogspot.com/2009/03/pixel-perfect-exhibition-fact-file.html
Open 7 days a week 11am to 9pm
recent oil on paper collection by Sagada-based artist Cecilia UhingApril 20, 2009 to May 3, 20091/of Gallery, 2/L Shops at Serendra, Bonifacio Global CityCall 901-3152 or email 1ofgallery.serendra@gmail.com for details.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Kelly Sonio’s celebrations
AT first glance, Kelly Sonio’s terra-cotta figures may seem disproportionate.
Oversized hands and feet of figures having fun, women singing while vending their ware, children running up and about, townsfolk engaged in all sorts of revelry, and a clown putting on his makeup are just some of the pieces in the exhibit “Pagsaulog” in E Gallery at Serendra.
A grand-prize winner of the 2006 Metrobank Arts and Design Excellence in Sculpture, Sonio was inspired by his win and he is now looking to share that happiness through his works.
Sonio says he gained confidence after winning since it affirmed that he had something to offer in a field he had to learn all by himself.
“Pagsaulog” means “to celebrate” in Ilonggo, and as a native of La Carlota, Negros Occidental, Sonio is exposed to a very simple lifestyle in a rural setting.
“Our sleepy town jumps up and comes alive every last week of January to celebrate the annual fiesta,” he says. “The whole place becomes a joyful playground where everyone participates. This excitement is what I try to capture in the facial expressions and body language of my sculptures. I want to send a message that despite the poverty and hardship, people can still be joyful and somehow contended with their simple lives.”
Sonio meticulously forms his figures by hand using terra-cotta, taking as long as 3-4 days to finish one, and then sets them to dry for a month before firing them in a kiln. He uses acrylic to paint the details of each figure, working to enhance the appearance and highlight certain subtleties he wishes to emphasize.
It’s no easy task, he says, considering all the planning and conceptualization involved in each peace. The emotions, attitudes and moods of his sculptures are well narrated and clearly defined albeit purposely exaggerated.
“Pagsaulog” is significant in the artist’s career as it is his first solo exhibition and marks his true debut into the art scene. He chose to exhibit whimsical and happy moments depicting scenes from his childhood memories of fiesta instead of the more serious and sometimes depressing subjects, which he used to do.
Without fanfare, flair or frills, Sonio epitomizes the humble, sincere and diligent sculptor who just wants to make a decent name and living.
“Pag Saulog” is on exhibit in E Gallery, 2/F, Shops at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
MANILA, Philippines - Joey Velasco, the painter who depicted Jesus Christ sharing a meal with poor children of Manila in a modern-day setting, is now exhibiting in the United States. Fifteen of his works are on exhibit at the American Grand Hotel in Los Angeles and in San Diego.
Wracked by shortness of breath and severe cough, all due to his continuous kidney medication and the fatigue of travel, Velasco went from the two cities to Minnesota to give talks to Filipino communities.
“The Best for the Least,” the exhibit’s title, could mean a couple of things: providing the best for the least among us, and perhaps getting the most with as little as we have.
Through “Hapag ng Pag-asa,” Velasco has provided the children featured in the artwork a chance for their stories to be known, and, more importantly, it has saved them from a world of anonymity.
Some 10-20 years from now, when they’d have hopefully risen from the world they’ve been born to, they would be known as the original little kids of “Hapag.”
Velasco is receiving an outpour of blessings by making use of his talents with as little knowledge as he had when he started painting. After a kidney operation, he was gripped by the urge to paint.
“I am 41 years old and I am a painter,” he says. “I have painted a bridge between the terrestrial and the celestial and this has given life to my art.”
Velasco draws inspiration from Jesus Christ.
“The unquenchable fire of Christ’s solidarity with man by becoming as lowly as man… That He is never a far God but a very near Savior,” Velasco says. “His invitation is to live more in solidarity with others than be concerned with my own image or rights, my own comforts or lifestyle.”
He says that his trip to the US promotes this message of brotherhood among Filipinos. That though they left the Philippines, it is as if they never really left at all.
“There’s no ocean that separates us from them because of their willingness to carry those left behind amid the flood of adversities.”
While it certainly is impressive how in such a short time Velasco has done some 40 artworks already―most, if not all, well received not just by regular art patrons but more so by the general public―but the artist shares that he couldn’t help but wonder if his late father is proud of what he has become.
A carpenter-upholsterer, Velasco’s Papang would work in his shop, without so much as a complaint over the hardship of earning a living for the family. But his hard work soon paid off. Velasco was a law student in Ateneo with a decent second-hand car and dressed in long-sleeved shirts to fit in with his more privileged classmates.
Six months later, Velasco could no longer bear the sight of his father doing it all by himself, and decided to quit law school and help contribute to the household income.
“I was only 21 but I strongly felt in solidarity with my father,” Velasco says. “A strong passion for business grew in me and I tried different endeavors. I worked vigorously. After two years, I was able to buy my father a Mercedes-Benz. He was happy but I didn’t see joy in his eyes.”
Soon after, his Papang passed away. Velasco keeps wondering if his father had been happy with his decision to stop studying law. After all, the calloused hands of his Papang toiled for a very long time to see Velasco become a lawyer.
“When I turned 41, my mother, for no reason at all, mentioned to me that my father’s happiest and proudest moment of me was when I was 12,” Velasco narrates. “There was a typhoon. From the main building of our school to its gate, which was around 200 meters away, I had to walk through the flood, carrying my older brother on my back because I didn’t want the wounds on his feet to get wet. The words came to me with so much revelatory power. I realized that the greatest trophy of a father was to be confirmed and assured that his children will care for one another. No amount of school medal or even a Mercedes-Benz can be in par with the power of love.”
The famous line “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother” has become a reality for the artist. In lifting up people, one is lifted up, too, according to him. These lessons are what Velasco hopes the Filipino communities in the US would take from him.
Velasco is opening another one-man exhibit on his “Manunubos II” in La Salle Taft, Manila, at 10 a.m. today.
E-mail the author at dxmatilla@yahoo.com
MANILA, Philippines - For stepping into the unique idea of highlighting how corporations and artists continue to share the vision of enriching the public with the arts, Muse Magazine was awarded a Special Citation during the recent 30th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) at Teatro ng GSIS in Pasay City.
Published by Mediawise Communications Inc., Muse is a quarterly magazine on the arts, culture and travel. The CMMA described it as a “daring publication” committed to promoting corporate social responsibility that always takes into account the interests of its community readers.
The magazine was also recognized by the International Association of Business Communicators during the Gold Quill Awards at Hyatt Hotel. Gold Quill Merit Awards each went to Muse Magazine (Communication Creative Division-Publication Design Category) and Pursuits (Communication Skills Division-Publications Category).
Pursuits, a glossy magazine celebrating Insular Life’s 97 years as a significant part of Filipinos’ lives, was also designed by Mediawise Communications Inc.
Present during both awarding ceremonies were CEO and publisher of Muse Ramoncito O. Cruz, arts and events manager Noel Catacutan, and Fr. José S. Arcilla, SJ, senior writer.
Muse Magazine’s latest issue features a cover story by Arcilla on the Atenean as an artist. The issue also has features on Far Eastern University as a living museum; Douglas Nierras and the breathtaking new field of aerial dancing; and the sights that make Cambodia one of the most interesting places to visit.
Muse Magazine is available in all leading bookstores.
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