PUP Celebrates Artistic Excellence
Hector Calma, PUP News, Volume 8 Issue No. 15 October 1-30, 2011The Polytechnic University of the Philippines, through the PUP 107th Foundation Anniversary Working Committee headed by the Vice President for Student Services, Dr. Juan C. Birion, organized a visual arts exhibition entitled “PUP: Celebrating Artistic Excellence”.
VPSS Dr. Juan C. Birion leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the exhibit
The exhibition is on board from October 3-15, 2011 at the 2nd and 3rd Floors of the Ninoy Aquino Library and Learning Resources Center, Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila. The exhibition featured the works of the newly formed Guhit Visual Arts Group, an independent visual arts organization based in V. Luna, Quezon City. Most of the members of the group are students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Award winning artists like EJem Alarcon (EARIST), Jordan Dinglasan, Joel Chavez, Arnold Lalongisip, Neil Defeo, Brian Defeo, Aldrin Alarcon, Jasper Barba, Thirdy Bulauitan, JM Saycon, Didier Alarcon, Alfredo Martirez, Rey Martirez, and other members of Guhit who participated in the event.
The Sagigilid Artists Collective also joined the exhibition. The group headed by Sim Tolentino, Bukloy and Ben Chua explored the art of the masses. The Sagigilid artists manipulated their mediums to convey important social issues such as alienation of labor, land reform, and social revolution. Kamanyang, another activist visual arts group, likewise contributed some artworks for the exhibition.
Works of faculty members of the University were also showcased. Prof. Anna Rose Fuenconcillo- Hull, a faculty member of the College of Arts, presented her digital artworks which are mostly surrealistic in tones. She masterfully manipulated vibrant colors and eloquently visualized myriad of seemingly unpresentable themes.
The erstwhile chief of the Visual Arts Office of the University, Prof. Joseph Reylan Viray, presented his artworks which are mostly done on acrylic, oil and pencil. His most imposing work entitled “Random” invited a lot of viewers because of his unusual style. In this work, Mr. Viray minimized his use of brush strokes. Instead, he conveyed a stoic theme of determination and cosmic design by dropping volumes of acrylic paint on the canvas. The impression that could be generated was that an image of a boxer is instantaneously and randomly formed out of the chaos around the field.
The exhibition presented a total of 107 artworks of various artistic explorations such as photography, digital art, pencil sketches, charcoal portraits and paintings. The number corresponds to the number of years PUP has been nurturing artists, art activists and cultural workers in the country.