Art collector Allan Ancheta takes readers through the wonders of appreciating and collecting pieces, especially in a time when art can bring solace amid the pandemic, with his first book.
Launched on Manila FAME’s digital platform FAME+, Fusion showcases artworks by Filipino talents featured at The Cabinet at Canterbury, an art gallery Ancheta built with his wife Jas inside their home in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
“Fusion is an exploration of the arts, self, and environment,” begins Ancheta.
“In learning more about the lives of the local artists and the contexts of their art, we go beyond what we see and gain a deeper appreciation of their work. This is a crucial step for those who wish to start their own collection. One’s environment also plays an important role, as these artworks bring spaces into life and can transform a place into a cabinet of curiosities.”
He features the emotionally driven abstract works of Ben-Hur Cabana, who was trained by accomplished painter and printmaker Romulo Olazo. Alongside Cabana is Khristina Manansala’s art inspired by childhood memories and religious themes, reminiscent of the works of her grandfather Vicente Manansala, a legendary cubist painter.
Conveying human truth and the arts’ role in the country, the works of Nixxio Castrillo, son of the late Eduardo Castrillo, are also included in the collection among the many other brilliant artists in the gallery.
In his book, Ancheta details his early influences and highlights the importance of choosing pieces that speak to the collector.
For him, it all started when his late father Pio once took him to the Venice Biennale exhibition in Italy. It was through his father that he met Filipino National Artists Arturo Luz and Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera. Drawing inspiration from his personal journey, Ancheta became more interested in the arts during his visits to his great-grandfather’s collection of European artworks, nestled in his massive library in Baguio.
Now a management consultant and a head of a pharmaceutical company, Ancheta continues to pursue his passion through his growing compendium of books and artworks.
Guiding readers through the “how-tos” of collecting, Ancheta also emphasizes that aside from their significance, the pieces must complement the color and form of the gallery’s interiors – evident in how Allan and Jas have turned The Cabinet at Canterbury into more than just a wonder-room but also a memorable melding of arts and design.
“In The Cabinet at Canterbury, our philosophy of fusing art and interiors is clearly displayed by these two rules. Most of the artwork displayed in the gallery reflects a possibility of expressing personal tastes and preferences, but also serves as a possible complement to a room design option,” mentions Ancheta in his book.