State university displays artworks by its alumni

MANILA, Philippines - In a rare display of Filipino artistry and creativity, state-run University of the Philippines (UP) is showcasing 100 pieces of artworks made by its noted alumni, including nine national artists. On the occasion of its 100th founding anniversary, UP is exhibiting 100 artworks depicting nudity as a fitting tribute to one of the university’s most enduring nude artwork, the Oblation. The concrete sculpture by UP alumni and national artist Guillermo Tolentino in Diliman, Quezon City is the inspiration for the theme of the “100 Nudes, 100 Years" exhibit ongoing at the Mandarin Suites, Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City. The Oblation, which depicts a nude man with outstretched arms and looking up to the sky, is said to be a symbol of UP’s service to the Filipino nation. While some of the exhibit’s artworks come from private collections, a number are new pieces for sale, according to Prof. Ruben D.F. Defeo, the exhibit curator and UP Fine Arts professor. Among the oldest pieces in the exhibit is a Fernando Amosolo untitled and undated pencil on paper, and Tolentino’s “Sonny the Champ" concrete sculpture circa 1952. The most expensive piece on display is a nine-piece sculpture called “Nine Muses" by national artist Napoleon Abueva. Abueva told reporters that the nine muses represent the nine arts—architecture, music, painting, sculpture, literature, dance, painting, cinematography and computer arts. Seven of the sculptures in the collection were miniatures of original pieces Abueva made years back and are now prominently displayed in the UP Diliman campus. He said he added two muses to represent the contemporary arts—cinematography and computer arts. The sculptures sell for P250,000 each. UP Alumni Association (UPAA) president and UP Regent Gari M. Tiongco said part of the artworks’ sale proceeds will go to scholarship programs of the UPAA. The rest will go to the artists themselves. “Some of the pieces [in the exhibit] may never be shown in public again," Tiongson said. Besides classical pen and paper pieces and oil paintings, the exhibit also features contemporary art, including digital art on canvass by 2008 UP alumni. Defeo explained that the artworks were organized into seven groups, representing the works of the UP alumni-national artists and artworks representing the era from the 1950s to the 21st century. Nine of the 14 national artists are UP alumni, namely: Abueva, Tolentino, Amorsolo, Benedicto “Bencab" Cabrera, Carlos “Botong" Francisco, Abdulmari Imao, Jose Joya Jr., Cesar Legaspi, and Vicente Manansala. A commemorative coffee table book with 120 pages of full color reproductions was also launched when the exhibit opened Thursday evening during UP’s centennial week celebration. The exhibit, organized by the UPAA, will run up to June 25. The UPAA said it deliberately chose the shopping mall as a venue for the exhibit to bring these artistic achievements “closer to the Filipino people," for whom the university was first established. - GMANews.TV