Kurangga 3 by Robie Perdiguerra

I went back to the Bigkis Sining Binangonan exhibit in Il Centro last Saturday to pick up my two Gener Blanco paintings. I was quite excited as I was to immediately drive to Frameworks Homefront to have these framed. I had saved pictures of the paintings in the Blanco Museum, and I was to show them to Frameworks - I wanted the 2 paintings to look like they were lifted from the Blanco Museum.

A good friend of mine from New World Hotel and One Serendra, Myra Bass, sent me a Viber message in our group. You see, that morning, Marina Monina had messaged me with paintings that she had available, and I sent these to the One Serendra Viber Group. Myra wanted paintings to be placed in her office in Raffles. I informed her that one of my stops was the exhibit in Il Centro, and she asked if I could send her pictures of the paintings that were available.

As soon as I got to the exhibit, I started taking pictures of the paintings that caught my eye. Of course, I sent her pictures of Gener Blanco's works. A piece that really caught my attention, though, and wasn't in the exhibit when I had gone there the week prior was Robie Perdiguerra's Kurangga 3. It is acrylic paint on a 13.5" x 10" canvas, and is a mother and child. It was enchanting, and Myra being a mom to a beautiful daughter studying in Assumption San Lorenzo, I had an inkling she might like it. I took a picture of Kurangga 3 and sent it to Myra via Viber. 

She loved it, along with 3 Blanco paintings that I sent. She asked me to purchase these for her. 

I brought them with me to the office, I thought Myra was going to work today, but she was, unfortunately off today. For today, though, the Kurangga 3 is on exhibit in my office, just for a limited time. 

I couldn't resist, so I took a photo of it on my desk, so that I could share it with everyone. 

My mom saw the painting and was upset that I didn't buy it for her. It was then I realized that she really enjoys mother and child paintings. 

I'm just hoping when Myra comes to pick up her paintings tomorrow, I'd be able to let them go. 

Amorsolo Paintings in The Vargas Museum

First time I went into Vargas Museum was when I was a freshman back in UP Diliman. Since I was a student, admission was free, and every now and then, I found myself going to the museum in case I had a free period, I was lucky because it was just two blocks away from CSSP. 

The museum has quite a collection of Amorsolo paintings. Yesterday, after going to Mark Justiniani's Reverb exhibit, Kim and I went up to the 2nd floor, I wanted to look at the Amorsolos. 

I confess, I also went up to look at the collection of paintings because I wanted to get inspiration for the frame that I wanted to have made for the painting I had commissioned. 

Here are some of the paintings by Fernando Amorsolo, all part of the collection of the Vargas Museum:

How I wish I get to afford an Amorsolo in the future!

Mark Justiniani's Reverb

Yesterday, Kim and I found ourselves gravitating towards Vargas Museum in UP Diliman. Mark Justiniani had an exhibit at the ground floor called Reverb. 

I was introduced to Mark Justiniani's works from Pinto Art Museum, so I was expecting paintings to dot along the ground floor gallery of the Vargas Museum. What greeted was just beyond description. They were like giant light-boxes, which had amazing dioramas. But the dioramas had so much depth, it seemed as if I was looking at a tunnel, due to his play on lights, and mirrors. It was simply amazing, you have to go and visit the exhibit to experience it for yourself. 

The exhibit is only until May 6, 2016. Best to catch it. 

The Vargas Museum

Roxas Avenue, UP Diliman, Quezon City

tel no. 928.1927

Hugot at Cevio Art Haus

I was quite happy receiving this invite today. I am so going to attend!

Ronald Ventura (Big and Small) in Ayala Museum

Kim and I were Art in the Park first thing in the morning, but parking was quite difficult already. We had to park all the way in Paseo Centre and walk to Salcedo Park. By 12NN, the place was starting to fill up with people, and looking at paintings was starting to become laborious. 

So, it was time to hie off to Ayala Museum to finally see the new exhibit located at the ground floor. The paintings are from the collection of Dr. Joel Mendez, featuring Ronald Ventura. 

Ronald Ventura made headlines in the local art scene when a painting of his, Grayground, sold in auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong for US$1.1M. 

In this exhibit we get to see his grasp on the human form. His technical expertise, without a doubt, shows that he is one of the hottest artists in the Philippine contemporary art scene. 

Black Rainbow, 2004, Oil on Canvas, 201 x 201 cm

Dream Series, Undated, Oil and Graphite on Canvas, 213.5 x  152.3 cm

Morning Rust, 2001, Mixed Media, 196 x 100.2 cm

In Memorial, 2001, Mixed Media, 226 x 152.4 cm

Ronald Ventura, Big and Small

I'm so looking forward to this exhibit in Ayala Museum. Hope everyone can find time to visit.

One of Ronald Ventura's creations was sold in auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong for $1.1M, last 2011. Here's a chance to see some of his artworks from the collection of Dr. Joel Mendez. 

Danilo Arriola at ArtistSpace in Ayala Museum

I was able to visit this at ArtistSpace in Ayala Museum. Very beautiful exhibit, everyone should pass by and look at the paintings of Danilo Arriola.

Assemblage at Cevio Art Haus

We had the chance to spend a lovely evening last night at the opening of the exhibit of Joey and Dexter Simsim in Cevio Art Haus in Bo. Kapitolyo. Aptly titled Assemblage, the two-man show of the brothers from Baguio, was a success.

The brothers opening words were a background of how they discovered contemporary art. Both are quite adept at realistic paintings, and it shows in their current work how they were able to beautifully combine their skill with their vision.

Cevio served drinks and light snacks, and other artists and some collectors were happily mingling about. Kat followed, and she enjoyed the exhibit as well. 

Collecting art can be such a dreadful vice! There wasn't a painting in the exhibit I didn't want to take home!

The price of most of the artworks were quite reasonable, although I have yet to pay for my commission work with my friend, Franco, so I thought it best to practice restraint. And for a nightcap, Kat Pauso brought us to Greenfield District's midnight flea market, where I saw some beautiful paintings by Joey Agbayani, one of which I was so tempted to purchase! See the beautiful painting of Eiffel Tower from the river Seine in the centre? It's absolutely adorable!

A Hundred Blooms in Cevio Art Haus

We got caught up in the Sanso Museum yesterday we were unable to go to the opening of A Hundred Blooms in Cevio's Art House. My friend, Kat Pauso, was able to attend though, with her daughter Kallie. Kallie asked her mom to purchase a flower painting - it was priced at PhP 1,000.00. She was so encouraged by the flower paintings that she saw that she declared to her mother that she will be drawing flowers and will be selling them in the lobby of their condo. 

Below is the painting the mother and daughter purchased last night. Its acrylic on 12" x 12" canvas by James Imperial. 

Kim and I decided to take a side trip to Cevio on the way home tonight. We passed by, and was able to speak to the caretaker if we could see the exhibit. He obliged. 

The exhibit was composed of over a hundred 12" x 12" canvases. The media used were acrylic, oil, and MMC. 

They were presented like checkerboard tiles in the gallery - very cute concept.

Kim liked this painting:

A piece made by Miguel Toni Villanueva. While browsing through the other artworks on display, I sent an SMS to Kat confirming which pieces she acquired. As it turns out, she purchased the other Miguel Toni Villanueva painting, an acrylic masterpiece on canvas. 

So I knew I had to get the painting Kim liked, so that Miguel Villanueva's paintings would be owned by two college friends. Spoke to the caretaker, and left him my contact details, so that I could place a bid on the painting. 

I really love going to Cevio. One of the reasons I do is because of Keith Paras. It was in this gallery where I discovered his paintings - they had a very Klimt feel to them. Below is a snapshot of a Keith Paras painting that was shown in ManilArt 2014.

And here's another Keith Paras painting we found in Cevio while browsing through the blooms:

Please feel free to visit Cevio, below are their contact information:

Cevio Art Haus

60 San Isidro St., Brgy Kapitolyo, Pasig

tel. no. 02.6564931

open from 12:00PM to 8:00PM