Doris Ho: ‘My mom wanted art to be accessible’

Rustan’s launches collection of home objects, Bernardaud plates featuring Anita Magsaysay-ho’s artworks

R

ustan’s “For the Arts” launched last week mementos and objets for the home featuring the late artist Anita Magsaysay-ho’s artworks on, among others, plates by Bernardaud.

The artworks are from the private collections of the artist’s daughters Doris and Helen Ho.

The high-resolution images, according to Rustan’s VP for merchandising, home division Marilen Tantoco, were reproduced from actual plates that Magsaysay-ho painted while she was in Tokyo.

“My mother worked in Tokyo when we were small. She worked on those plates all the time. So when Rustan’s wanted to do plates for this event, I thought the best thing to do was to actually use a real plate. So they reproduced it on these, which are by French company Bernardaud, which is a great company,” said Doris Ho.

Printed, embroidered

Other objects printed or embroidered with Magsaysay-ho’s paintings in this collection, called “Offerings,” include pillows, gift cards, boxes and napkins.

“These paintings necessarily from a period. They do have a similar theme or look: a lot of black and white, a lot of harvest scenes. It was her style,” said Tantoco.

Rustan’s founders Bienvenido and Gliceria Tantoco were dedicated to promoting Filipino art and culture throughout their lives.

The Hos and the Tantocos are longtime friends.

“This is not the first time we’ve done something like this,” said Tantoco. “We’ve done this with Bencab’s work, as well as Fernando Amorsolo’s.”

“My mother always felt that art should be accessible to many people because when she painted, only one person could buy the painting. She always felt that things should be done in print, that they should be reproduced,” said Ho.

“So I thought it was great that Rustan’s has this event where they honor an artist. And this is always what my mom thought, that it would be great if art could be something that more people could own,” she added.

The collection is available at Rustan’s.

From left: Patrick Maxwell; Rustan’s president Donnie Tantoco; Lorraine Maxwell; Jessica Kienle Maxwell; Helen Ho; Doris Ho; Rustan’s chair and CEO Nedy Tantoco; Rustan’s VP for merchandising, home division Marilen Tantoco; Rustan’s head of marketing and communications Dina Tantoco; Rustan’s board member Maritess Tantoco-enriquez; SSI Group president Anton Huang; and Luca and Jesse Maxwell

Anita Magsaysay-ho’s works are reproduced on plates and cushions.

Helen Ho and Doris Ho

“Carolers” by Anita Magsaysay-ho on greeting cards

“Women with Pineapples” by Anita Magsaysay-ho on Bernardaud plates