A five-month art exhibition showcasing the works of National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz is currently mounted at Silliman University’s Dr. Romeo P. Ariniego Art Gallery in Dumaguete City.
Curated by Lisa Guerrero-Nakpil, the show, entitled “The World in Pictures,” opened on August 21 and will run until Jan. 31, 2020. It also features Guerrero-Nakpil’s authoritative exhibit essays on the art of Alcuaz and the late Ramon Villegas, a famous antique jeweler and art historian.
In her essay, Guerrero-Nakpil connects Alcuaz (1932-2011) to the late 19th-century Philippine expatriate community in Europe, notably Juan Novicio Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.
Like Luna and Hidalgo, Alcuaz found fame in Spain and France after a Madrid education at the same art academy as the ilustrados who came before him. He went on to join a league of other artists based in Barcelona.
“As a result, he earned recognition in Spain, including the first prize at the Premio Moncada in 1957, followed by the Prix Francisco Goya the next year; first prize at the Pintura de Sant Pol del Mar in 1961 and second prize at the Premio Vancell at the Fourth Biennial of Tarrasa in Barcelona in 1964,” writes Guerrero-Nakpil.
In Paris, Alcuaz was awarded the Diploma of Honor at the International Exhibition of Art Libre in 1961; as well as the Arts, Letters and Sciences award from the French government and the Order of French Genius, both in 1964.
He is known for his Cubist-inspired paintings. Most often depicting nude women, interiors, still life, and landscapes, Alcuaz’s work is characterized by soft blurred edges coupled with bold lines and shapes.
His paintings, which depict his many travels around Europe, are in the collections of 20 museums and major cultural institutions in the world such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, Gulbenkian Foundation Museum of London, Museum of Modern Art of Warsaw, Museum of Modern Art of Krakow, and Philips Cultural Museum of the Netherlands.
The grand opening was well attended by the people from the arts and culture society in Dumaguete as well as representatives from Silliman University Arts and Culture Council, Dumaguete City Festival and Arts Society, and Dumaguete Heritage Council.
The occasion was also graced by artists like Kitty Taniguchi, Danilo Sollesta, Hersley-Ven Casero, and Irish Tirambulo Armogenia.
Curators and art historian Tonico Manahan and Toto Gonzalez gave a lecture of Philippine contemporary arts to the students of the arts and design track and fine arts of Silliman University.
Dr. Jenny Lind Elmaco, Silliman University strategic partnerships director, was the lady of the ceremony.
The exhibit was organized by Leon Gallery, a leading auction house in the country.