A tribute to her
GALLERY OWNER and art patron Silvana Ancelotti-Diaz is, first and foremost, a mother. The Italian citizen, who left her home when she was 18 and decided to stay in the Philippines for good when she was 23, has four children of her own. But, over several decades, she became a mother to hundreds more through one exhibition or another.
Forty-three years ago, Ms. Diaz opened Galleria Duemila, now the oldest running commercial art gallery in the Philippines. Since then, the gallery has exhibited the likes of Pacita Abad, Julie Lluch, and National Artist for Visual Arts Arturo Luz.
As thanks to their “mom,” three of Ms. Diaz’s artist-children—Jonathan Olazo, Trek Valdizno, and R.M de Leon—have mounted a tribute show for Ms. Diaz, featuring their abstract works.
Titled An Italian in Manila: An Exhibition Tribute to Mrs. Silvana Diaz, it is on view at Galleria Duemila until Sept. 29. “Tribute is a very big word,” Ms. Diaz said, blushing and brushing off the praise. “It could have been named, I don’t know, ‘An Exhibit for Silvana’?,” she said in an interview with BusinessWorld on Aug. 30.
A YEAR IN THE MAKING
Curated by Mr. De Leon, the tribute, which was one year in the making, is composed of a series of 26 abstract paintings. “I don’t know if they painted with any reflection of me and our friendship, but there is a lot of dynamic. Right?,” said Ms. Diaz as she walked past the works and admired them.
Mr. Olazo’s works are all textured oil-on-canvas paintings chiefly in pink, yellow, green, and blue. His father, the late artist Romulo Olazo, was a close friend of Ms. Diaz. And she saw the younger Olazo follow in his footsteps. “It takes mastery to achieve this abstraction process,” said Ms. Diaz.
Another artist on showcase is Mr. Valdizno, whose large works feature a regal color palette of red, gold, and black. Mr. De Leon, meanwhile, contributed nine works of mixed media on paper bursting with a cacophony of brush strokes.
“It’s moving. You’re surprised and bewildered and I didn’t expect anything. It brings me happiness and I said ‘wow, I am thankful’,” Ms. Diaz said.
But who is Silvana Diaz, and why is she deserving of a tribute?
It was in 1975 when it all started. On Dec. 5, three years after Martial Law was declared Ms. Diaz opened the gallery in Vernida building in Makati City. Now located on Loring Street in Pasay, Galleria Duemila has exhibited artists like Gus Albor, Alfredo Juan Aquilizan, Jinggoy Buensuceso, Nilo Ilarde, Tony Twigg, Justin Nuyda, Edwin Wilwayco, Luis “Junyee” Yee, Jr., and many more.
“[We] really associate with professionals. I feel that a lot of galleries are giving prominence to young artists. I believe they’re represented,” said Ms. Diaz, on why she has decided to champion mid-career artists. “My idea is to focus [on them] and then inject one or two young artists.”
Prior to opening Galleria Duemila, she worked as a gallery assistant at Miladay Art Center in 1973 and 1974 under art director-artist Lino Severino. She organized her sister-in-law Isabel Diaz’s exhibit in 1974 at Miladay. It was sold out, said Ms. Diaz, save for a piece of furniture, which is still with her today. Because of her success, she was offered a position in the gallery. “It was a big