There is a new imagery abirthing in the world of Cebuano art. Two exhibits currently ongoing give us a good window. Ongoing at the SM Cebu Art Center is the 39th Joya Awards and 40th Annual Exhibit of the Fine Arts Program of the
University of the Philippines Cebu. At Qube Gallery in The Henry is “Malignant Flux”. Both shows are interesting indicators of how the young view art, the world and what is in store for us in the future.
The UP Fine Arts Program annual show is a sampler of students’ works. This year it is curated by Yasi Schneidt, faculty member of the program. It includes a contest called the Joya Awards Competition after national artist Jose Joya who together with local artists, the late Martino Abellana, the late Julian Jumalon, the late Lucille Agas, Carmelo Tamayo, extant, was instrumental in the founding of the Fine Arts Program in 1975. It was then the only formal art school outside the national capital offering the Certificate and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. This year is the 40th year anniversary of the program.
The Joya Awards were first awarded in 1976 to Javy Villacin and Alfonso Ompod Jr. It has been awarded consistently yearly since then. Joya envisioned the awards to be a source of encouragement for the students to do excellent work. The awards consisted of a medal and cash for the winning artists. Winning works became the property of the UP Cebu joining its collection of Joya awardees dating back to 1976.
The kind of paintings that become Joya awardees have changed dramatically over the years. At the first years of its beginning there were two categories of awards, naturalistic and abstract categories. Over the years, this practice of categorization became obsolete and was amended in favor of choosing just one winner for the year with no prejudice to what artistic styles may be presented. So far however, no sculpture and installations have been presented in the show, which fact proves that this show still falls short of the post-Dada dictum that “Anything goes!”
Notwithstanding, the winner this year is a piece by Aldrich Maligsa. It is a square canvas of a white field. Over it is stretched a #18 galvanized iron wire, much like a clothesline, from which hangs a soiled white Hanes underwear. This winning choice is par for this course. This show sets the bar for what still arguably is art. This year’s judges are: Bea Sagun, managing curator of Qube Gallery, Gregg Lloren, graphics, creative communication specialist and faculty of the Arts and
Humanities Cluster of UP Cebu, and Bisaya pop icon Errol “Budoy” Maraviles.
To get to “Malignant Flux” one searches out Qube Gallery. It is at that strange building you see at the corner as you enter Ma. Luisa from the Banilad Road. Qube Gallery now has several gallery spaces. But this one is the oldest and perhaps now the smallest. This gallery is willing to show unusual and unexpected works. This one showing a collection from R.V. Sanchez, Bart Brothers, Lean Reboja and Soika.
These artists have long experience in street art. This experience shows in the imagery. And as one may expect they are fresh, energetic and exciting imagery indicating what seems now a sea change in the local art practice. This is youthful art expressing itself unfettered by too much academic baggage.
One would expect this art to be hard to sell. One would be surprised. Buyers ought come early if they want to buy anything at all. The art is priced quite well and are actually selling. Proving if nothing else that the world may be changing in ways not any of us can predict or even imagine.
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