Portrait of Cory Aquino as an artist
PRESIDENT MARIA CORAZON COJUANGCO-AQUINO: A GIFT OF SELF
As it continues its cultural journey around the Philippines, My City, My SM, My Art gives mallgoers a rare glimpse of the artistic side of the late President Maria Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino in an exhibit, which is on view from May 21 to 25 at the Atrium of SM City Tarlac.
It also highlights how art has flourished in the most multi-cultural of Central Luzon provinces, the Melting Pot of the region, with four distinct groups: the Kapampangans, Pangasinenses, Ilocanos and Tagalogs sharing life in the province.
Mallgoers get the chance to know Tarlaqueños like Ninoy Lumboy, the grand slam first-prize winner in the World Bank International Stamp Design Competition sponsored by the United Nations; Benjie Visaya, recognized as an outstanding visual artist by the NCCA; and sculptor Conrado Balubayan.
Joining them are young artists who have made their province proud by winning top prizes in prestigious competitions like Art Petron, Vision Petron, the GSIS National Painting Competition, the Shell Art Competition and the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence. These include Mark Kenneth Garcia, Chrisanto Aquino, Mark Miclat, Gerald Mungcal, Bernardo Cabugnason and Judeo Herrera.
A celebration of Philippine visual arts — painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and filmmaking — My City, My SM, My Art is a joint project of SM, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Shell Companies of the Philippines, and the Philippine STAR, with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Centerstage Productions.
The My City, My SM, My Art series brings art and people together by showcasing the works of masters, modernists and millennials around SM Supermalls. Advocating art for all, the team works with communities to mount exhibits, workshops and contests in key cities around the Philippines.
Considered an icon of democracy, together with her husband Ninoy Aquino, the late Aquino was born in Paniqui to the prominent Cojuangco family.
Cory, as she is fondly called, was a leading figure in the 1986 People Power Revolution. She eventually became the first woman President of the Philippines and was named
Time magazine’s Woman of the Year in 1986. An extremely private person despite her worldwide acclaim, Cory returned to private life when she stepped down from the presidency. In 1996, Cory took an active interest in painting under the tutelage of artist Jeffrey Consumo.
Cory had her first class with Consumo on April 17, 1996 with a small group of relatives and former members of her Cabinet. Classes, which she never missed, would be held at the Sumulong-Cojuangco residence in Dasmariñas Village from 3 to 5 p.m. By 1999, Cory would ask him for one-on-one lessons in her Times Street residence.
Consumo says that she painted mostly with oil and acrylic on both paper and canvas. The style she adapted was all her own, and she was never self-conscious as an artist. There’s a sense of purity in her paintings; as if every stroke was made with neither hesitation nor pretense. Every motion of the paint brush flowed freely, with a calm composure and genuine emotions leading the way.
Aside from the usual paper and canvas, Cory also painted on plates, bags and even throw pillow covers. While she had obvious preference for making floral paintings, she has painted images of rosaries, crosses and of women. Although Consumo says Cory painted close to 300 works since 1996, she never thought of herself as a professional artist. Painting never pressured her, it was her way to relax. It was also never her intention to sell her paintings; she instead would give her paintings as a token of gratitude or friendship. Each piece today occupies a special place in the home of its owner. In 2013, “A Gift of Self,” an exhibit showcasing around 30 of her works was held in commemoration of the late President’s fourth death anniversary. Just as she gave Filipinos the gift of democracy, Cory gifted many with her paintings, and touched their lives with her graciousness.