Works of young artists who won a national art competition were showcased at an immersive and interactive exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Taguig City.
The exhibit called “Kaugnayan: Enduring Connection in Contemporary Philippine Art” comprises pieces from winners of the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE), which is the visual art program of Metrobank Foundation.
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The awarding ceremony was held at the same venue on September 21.
This year’s winners of MADE, whose works debuted at the museum, are:
- Grand Awardee for Oil/Acrylic on Canvas Category: Jowee Anne M. Aguinaldo
- Grand Awardee for Sculpture Category: Abril Dominic A. Valdemoro
- Grand Awardee for Watermedia on Paper Category: Jerome G. Santos
- Special Citation recipient for Oil/Acrylic on Canvas Category: Dexter B. Cinco
- Special Citation recipient for Sculpture Category: Michael Art M. de Leon
- Special Citation recipient for Watermedia on Paper Category: Zarlien M. Delgado
- Special Citation recipient for Oil/Acrylic on Canvas Category: Jonas Miguel S. Arlegui
Works of MADE semifinalists and finalists were also given the opportunity to mount their artworks alongside those of the awardees at the exhibit.
Former Vice President Leni Robredo was among the prominent figures who toured around the galleries.
In a post on September 26, Robredo gave a shout-out to an artist in Naga, Camarines Sur, who was among the featured artists in the exhibit
“Proud moment for me because the work of one of our own, Clark Neola, who was a participant in our recent Rigmat Arts and Culture Fest and one of those who did live painting with National Artist Ben Cab and the Masters, was one of the semi-finalists,” she said.
The photo that gained the most traction online was the oil, acrylic painting Aguinaldo, a grand awardee, titled “Puro Kahig, Walang Matuka.”
It garnered 116,000 reactions and 36,000 shares on the platform.
The exhibit runs from September 22 to October 6 at the second-floor galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
“Stronger Ties” in the competition
The theme of this year’s edition of MADE is “Connect: Stronger Ties, Bolder Strides.”
In a statement, Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto M. Sobrepeña explained that the theme invited young local artists to be “bolder” in exploring their creative potential.
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“MADE’s promise, deeply rooted in empowering young artists and supporting the development of Philippine visual arts, remains the driving force behind our mission,” Sobrepeña said.
“MADE stands firm not just in jumpstarting artistic careers, but also in nurturing artists to realize their boundless potential,” he added.
All seven awardees took home the “More” Trophy designed and created by the 2007 Metrobank Foundation Prize for Achievement in Sculpture (MPAS) awardee Juan Sajid Imao.
They also took home different cash prizes and cash incentives from the foundation to support their crafts.
Eighteen prolific artists who were alumni of the organization and previous MADE winners were also given a special section called “In Between Paths (Sa Pagitan ng mga Landas).” It highlighted their recent pieces and their early ones as emerging artists at the start of their careers.
They include:
- Ferdinand Doctolero
- Salvador Ching
- Siefred Guilaran
- Sam Penaso
- Noel Elmido Farol
- Ronald Jeresano
- Jonathan Dangue
- Melvin Culaba
