The Eduardo Castrillo Studio Family at SM City Dasmariñas
C
avite is a province known for its history, heroes and heritage. It is the cradle of the Philippine Revolution and the birthplace of Philippine Independence.
While proud of its glorious past, Cavite is also proud of its warm and friendly people whose industry and patience have made them openly receptive to the entry of culture and technology that are of value to the province.
This includes artists like master sculptor Eduardo Castrillo who has made it his home. Castrillo’s decision to move to Cavite had a sense ofdestiny.Cavite,afterall,isaprovinceknownfor its history. Castrillo, on the other hand, is known forhislarge-scalepublicmonumentsthatcelebrate our country’s heroes and heritage.
His move to Cavite was prompted by his realization that his highly documented and photographed Makati studio would no longer suffice for his space requirements in creating the large-scale monuments he had been commissioned to do.
A very good family friend had offered his space in Molino, Cavite, in 1995 and Castrillo found it highly conducive to his creative work. Back in 1995, the area was less populated and Castrillo then proceeded to personalize this place, building a private forest-like studio amid the rolling fields of Molino.
It was a quiet, rustic place, which Castrillo loved and enjoyed calling home. The whole family moved to Cavite in 1995 and three of his grandchildren were born there, establishing roots for his family and his art.
As it continues its cultural journey around the SM Supermalls, “My City, My SM, My Art” recently showcased the life and works of Castrillo and his family at the Atrium of SM City Dasmariñas.
A joint project of SM, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Shell Philippines, the
Philippine STAR, with support from the National Commission for Culture and theArts and Centerstage Productions, “My City, My SM, My Art” is a celebration of Philippine visual arts — painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and filmmaking.
The campaign brings art and people together by showcasing the works of masters, modernists and millennials in a road show around the SM Supermalls. Advocating art for all, the team works with communities to mountexhibits,workshopsandcontestsinkeycitiesaroundthePhilippines.
Dasmariñas City Vice Mayor Rex Mangubat attended the event, togetherwithCaviteHistoricalSocietypresidentEmmanuelCalairo,Gilbert Remulla, former Cavite City Councilor Mark Mupas and Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s Nelda Sansaet.
SM officials led by SM senior vice president for marketing Millie Dizon, SM Supermalls regional operations manager Lorenzo Cal inga san, SM City Mo li no mall manager Joseph For ro sue lo and SM City Dasmariñas assistant mall manager Cesar Ballesteros warmly welcomed them.
Guests enjoyed the program, which included an AVP hosted by Gilbert Remulla featuring the amazing works of Castrillo and his family. These works were exhibited in and around the My Art Gallery, which was inspired by the bahay na bato in Luzon.
They also included works of Castrillo’s three children Mierro, Nixxio and Ovvian.
With his multiple degrees in engineering, education and business administration, Mierro L. Castrillo has had many experiences managing projects and supervising huge endeavors. Mierro’s artistic gifts allow him to communicate and deliver the rudiments of the meticulous and history-specific designs drawn by his father. And with his scientific and logical mind, these projects are executed seamlessly.
As his father’s studio manager Nixxio L. Castrillo’s involvement and exposure to his father’s sculptural discipline, as well as his own architectural and management background, eventually led him to find his own artistic voice. His artistic style infuses color with architectural forms and tight compositions. Since finding his own artistic voice, Nixxio had five shows in 2017 and is also doing upcoming work for the cities of Valenzuela, Noveleta and Kawit.
Now based in Fort St. John, Northern British Columbia, Ovvian Castrillo-Hill began sculpting in 2003 under the tutelage of her father. In her work, which reveals her eye for space and shadows in large-scale sculptures, she employs familiar materials andre purposes metal sand alters finishes to give a distinct style to her art. Each sculpture is personal, with stories prodded by emotions from her continuous evolution as daughter, mother, wife and woman. Ovvian’s work can be found in Manila, Mac au, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada.
“My City, My SM, My Art” also featured the works of the third generation of Castrillo artists: Regina Gabrielle, Alessandra Gianina, Santina Brienne and Brendan Hill.
Eduardo Castrillo was born in 1942 in Sta. Ana, Manila, the youngest of five children of Santiago Silva Castrillo, a jeweler, and Magdalena de los Santos, an actress.
It was his father, a master craftsman, who taught the young Eduardo the jewelry techniques that would eventually form the crux of his metalworking techniques. Fashioning jewelry from metal sheets, the elder Castrillo taught his son that using pliable metal is perhaps better than using molds.
After entering the Fine Arts program of the University of Santo Tomas, Castrillo worked in a variety of jobs before he began his career in commissioned sculpture.
Beginning with “The Virgin” at La Loma Cemetery and “Youth’s Defiance” in Fort Santiago in 1966, Castrillo would eventually become a master at covering historical events and personalities and one of the country’s most sought-after commissioned artists.
In his works, Castrillo used metal sheets instead of molds, pioneering the handcrafted “constructivism” method in metal and all other materials available at that time — glass, plexiglass and wood.
Some of his most significant works include the “Spirit of Pinaglabanan,” which commemorates the heroism of Katipuneros; the “People’s Power Monument” along EDSA; the “Rajah Sulayman Monument” along Roxas Boulevard; and “Cebu Heritage” in the Par ian district, a table au of Cebu’ s history in three-dimensional form.
Castrillo’s works depicting historical events in Cavite like the “Tejeros Convention” and the “Battle of Zapote Bridge” reveal how his art flourished in the province he chose to consider home later in life.
For his amazing works, Castrillo received numerous awards, including the Ten Outstanding Young Men and the Republic Cultural Heritage Awards, both in 1971.
As an artist, his grasp of his mission for God and country was apparent to him early on in his career, and has carried over until his later years. Although he passed away on May 18, 2016, he will be remembered not only for his wonderful works, but also for being a generous artist who shared his technique and nurtured his craftsmen who have all become part of the Eduardo Castrillo Studio family.
With its aim of bringing art and people together, “My City, My SM, My Art” also conducted a sculpture workshop. Sherlyn Baga from the Adventist University of the Philippines won the grand prize and brought home SM gift certificates.
“My City, My SM, My Art” is a takeoff from the previous “My City, My SM” campaign which promotes tourism, “My City, My SM, My Cuisine” which highlights regional culinary specialties, and “My City, My SM, My Crafts,” a celebration of traditional art and modern Philippine design in cities where SM has malls. The next stop for “My City, My SM, My Art” will be at SM City Puerto Princesa.