The visual artist behind the statue of tennis sensation Alex Eala at an ecofarm resort in Cavite that went viral has apologized following criticism of the artwork.
Last June, a video of the statue, created as a tribute to the Filipino athlete, gained traction online as Filipinos commented on its perceived lack of resemblance to her.
Some said Alex looked “older” in the statue, while others remarked that she looked “half-Chinese” or a non-Filpino.
The sculpture also caught the athlete’s attention, with Alex previously reacting to it with a flushed-face emoji.
READ: Viral Alex Eala statue sparks jokes
The statue recently drew renewed attention, prompting the artist behind it to issue an apology following the comments.
Ruel Arviola Catigan, a visual artist at RC Arts, said in an interview that he had more than a week to create Alex’s statue, which Paraiso de June Quixote Ecofarm Resort commissioned as a tribute to the Pinay athlete and her achievements.
He added that he spent more than three days during that period working on the sculpture’s details.
“Sa mga hindi po nagkagusto, pasensya na po kayo, dala lang po ng medyo kulang po sa araw. Pero, buong puso po na inano namin ni Boss June ‘yan, na ginawa, para maihandog nga kay Ma’am Alex,” Catigan said, referring to June Ducat, the owner of the ecofarm resort.
“Sana po ma-appreciate niyo… pasensya na rin kayo kung ginawa kung ganyan… medyo nagkaroon ng conflict doon sa mukha, pero masaya naman po ako dahil naano naman po namin ni Boss June Ducat… nagawa namin para mapakita nga sa kanya ‘yung pag-honor namin bilang, nakikiisa kami, bilang Pilipino tayo na nagkakaisa sa kanyang mga karangalan po mula sa ibang bansa,” he added.
Catigan also expressed his gratitude to those who commented on his artwork.
“Maraming, maraming salamat po sa inyo. Ganoon po talaga tayo eh. Hayaan niyo, pagbubutihin na lang po. At kay Ma’am Alex naman po, ma’aam, maraming, maraming salamat po, una sa lahat, sa pagbibigay karangalan dito sa ating bayan,” he said.
“Kayo po ay, kumbaga, maituturing pinakakilalang female ano ngayon. Kayo po ay nagbibigay ng malaking pagkilala sa ating lahi. Maraming, maraming salamat po sa inyo, ma’am. Muli, pasensya na po kayo,” the artist added.
The situation saddened some Pinoys, who felt bad that Catigan had to apologize for his work.
“Naaawa ako sa tatay at sa artist. As a Creative Director, I work with different artists and illustrators, and while I don’t tolerate mediocre work from the creatives we hire, I’m also open-minded enough to recognize that every artist has their own strengths, limitations, and capabilities,” an online user wrote.
“‘Wag tayo mag-expect na lahat ng sculptors natin ay kaya ang Madame Tussauds level of quality,” the Threads user added, referring to the famous wax museum known for displaying wax figures of famous personalities.
“[I don’t care] kung hindi kamukha, the fact na ginawa ‘yan na ang reference is Alex Eala… it’s all good. ‘Pag ba nakita n’yo ‘yan, si Vice Ganda maiisip n’yo? Hindi naman, ‘di ba,” another Threads user said.
“Mahirap mag-sculpt, pot nga lang gagawin ko, hindi ko pa ma-perfect, who am I to judge. Hindi kamukha, but that doesn’t mean na hindi maganda. Art isn’t meant to be perfect or dapat kuhang-kuha ang subject,” the user added.
“Una ko talagang naisip ‘yung feelings ng artist nito kasi andaming ‘haha’ react sa FB. And I don’t find it funny at all. I appreciate every art. Pinaghirapan nila ‘yan,” another Pinoy said.
Alex is the highest-ranked Filipina tennis player in history and the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title, capturing the 2022 US Open girls’ singles title at age 17.
She is expected to compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan following her early exit from the 2026 Singapore Open on Thursday, September 24.
