We need art during times of crisis
Buying art for charity projects means you enhance a space, you enhance a life
Art is therapy, and art therapy is a creative medium to help improve communication and concentration, and to possibly reduce feelings of isolation, especially during these times of crisis. Additionally, art can help raise funds for charity projects; you enhance a space, you enhance a life.
Watercolorist Irene Canlas Ibañez has created hundreds of paintings since she started 15 years ago. She started attending art classes with her mentor Roland Santos a decade ago, and her daughter Bea joined them recently.
In September, Irene was invited by her friend Ruth Gerochi to participate in an exhibit together with Rechie Cruz, Christian Medina and Caroline Vandenabeele. Also featured as primary artist was 8-yearold Paolo Jose Montalbo, who discovered his inclination for painting while separated from his cousins and friends during lockdown.
The artists were inspired to create something beautiful from the challenges of lockdown, as well as to share their art with others. The exhibit runs until early November and proceeds will be donated to CRIBS Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing a loving and safe environment for abandoned, neglected, surrendered babies and female minor survivors of sexual abuse. ( Visit artspaces. kunstmatrix. com/ en/ exhibition/2441946/catalog.)
Assumption alumnae projects
Magnificart ( www.magnificart.com.ph) is another art event, happening Nov. 6-8. It is an online auction by Assumption Alumnae Association (AAA), with bids translating into scholarships for deserving children, continued livelihood for dedicated teachers, protective gear for communities in Assumption mission schools, and other AAA projects.
Up for grabs is a wide selection of artworks as well as home, jewelry and religious items. Notables are pieces by National Artist Abdulmari Imao and decorated master
Ibarra dela Rossa. Lydia Velasco, hailed as one of the most influential female artists, headlines the art selection with watercolors and pastels.
Mindful of the wide spectrum of artistic talents, the selection was curated to include modern pieces by popular young artists Lyra Garcellano
with her contemporary redux of Amorsolo’s 1950s “Fruit Gatherer,” and Kim Oliveros’
distinctive black and white styling. A true gem is Wynn Wynn Ong’s Butterfly brooch, a oneof-a-kind collector’s item studded with peridot and smoky quartz.
Also on full display is the talent of Assumption alumnae. Painting for their alma mater are Joanna Ongpin Duarte with her vivid images of “Oficial del Yarme” and her rendering of historical figures of the Spanish era, and Victoria Lopez with her graceful ballerinas.
Conchitina Bernardo’s
“Forest Primeval” serves as the website’s lush and verdant backdrop. And Jing Turralba, who bagged a coveted space in the Venice Biennale, offers up “Bill,” a doggie sculpture crafted improbably out of shotgun casings.
Art also promotes the country in the international art scene. Filipino-american artist Jefrë recently unveiled his first solo show at Orlando Museum of Art in Florida ( omart.org). His “Points of Connection” show runs until Jan. 3, 2021.
After mounting massive art installations locally, Jefrë carries the Philippine flag proudly with his first museum show, which is also Orlando Museum of Art’s first postpandemic public exhibit.
“Points of Connection” features 40 human-scale installations and sculptures spread across 800 square meters of floor space. The pieces are curated according to a poem written by Jefrë, titled “Heart to Heart,” which explores the artist’s journey as a second-generation immigrant and survivor of a heart attack in his 30s, and his practice as a landscape artist.
Fil-am artist, a digital Artefino
Jefrë told me that through “Points of Connection,” he tells a highly personal story that speaks to the shared experiences of people, regardless of their background. Both proud and aware of his heritage as a Filipino-american, he often uses this perspective in his work.
He has worked with known architects such as Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Santiago Calatrava and Philippe Starck since his graduation from Ohio State University. After an unexpected heart attack at the age of 35, he launched his own firm, STUDIOJEFRË, which focuses on functional pieces of public art.
Late last year, Jefrë told me about all the preparations he has been busy with for this show, and invited me to the opening in Orlando. I am so proud of this Filipino artist and truly blessed to have him as a friend. He was going to donate a sculpture to auction off at our Red Charity Gala (RCG) this year. We will have to wait for an RCG revival some time in the future!
With everything happening virtually, art and home furnishings can also be sold online. Artefino ( visit artefinoph. com; follow @artefinoph on Facebook and Instagram), the annual artisan fair, boldly returns amid the pandemic with a reimagined digital platform, Shopartefino.com. This new shopping experience enables all of us to shop from the comforts and convenience of our own homes, and safely at that. Continually refreshed, Shopartefino.com is a one-stop shop for Filipino craftsmanship. The show’s curation focuses on the essentials and purposefully made pieces, embracing our “new normal.”
There are 45 brands in the roster, and each developed a collection relevant to the times, exclusive to Shopartefino.com.