At Finale: Yason Banal, Soler, and Liv Vinluan

Photo on canvas, image from Strikeanyspace Whatever Trading

Manila does not see new work from an international roster of artists everyday. Those eager to experience current work from name artists making waves in the global scene must head to Finale Art Gallery, where Yason Banal delivered the art experience of the week.  The gallery has lined up an interesting trio of shows for their patrons this month—just the thing for this spate of holiday weekends. Continue reading


Raring to Go: Recent Graduates Show Their Stuff

Welcome to the Class of 2009!

Welcome to the Class of 2009!

Sometime in late March, I made my way to UP Diliman to try and catch the thesis exhibit of this year’s batch of Studio Arts graduates.  Unfortunately, I got there the day before graduation ceremonies, the day maintenance men moved in to take down what had not been taken home.  So when I received Dawn Atienza’s invitation to view this show, a reprise by ten selected artists of their thesis exhibit pieces, I told myself that I  had better not miss it this time. Continue reading


Viewing The Paulino Que Collection of Young Contemporary Artists (aka, The I Wish They Were Mine Show)

Three years ago, Ambeth Ocampo arranged for the

Kim Atienza and Ayala Museum's Ken Esguerra with Jojo Legaspi's "St Thelma"

Kim Atienza and Ayala Museum's Ken Esguerra with Jojo Legaspi's "St Thelma"

Board of Trustees of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines to view Paulino and Hetty Que’s collection of Philippine art and historical objets.  Ambeth, perhaps only half-kidding, dubbed the occasion the tour of the”… real National Gallery”.  As he took us through the assembly of works, from Juan Luna’s canvases, to Fabian dela Rosa’s landscapes, then onto the Amorsolos, and the Thirteen Moderns, from the Ben Cabs to the Ang Kiukoks, we realized what Ambeth meant.  The staggering display covered the whole gamut of Philippine art history from Damian Domingo’s Academia de Dibujo to the 1980s.   Continue reading