Manila Hotel opens Kublai Millan’s ‘Land of Premise’ exhibition
In the world of art, an artist’s pieces almost always serve as an outlet for their thoughts and emotions as well as their beliefs and advocacies. Whether through a heartfelt painting or a detailed sculpture, an artwork can convey an artist’s deepest musings, shedding light on stories that have yet to be heard and appreciated by the public.
While prominently known for his sculptures, artist Kublai Millan often dabbles in painting. In his artworks, he makes it a point to utilize his craft in speaking up about topics that he deems to be deserving of attention. One of the things he would want to bring attention to is the rich culture of Mindanao.
After he received his degree in fine arts at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Millan returned to Davao City. From there, he was able to immerse himself in its various communities which he came to love.
“Falling in love with these people is staying and living with them and knowing their problems and knowing their dreams. Yun ang gusto kong i-paint,” shared Millan in an exclusive interview with Manila Standard Life.
Serving as one of the biggest artists hailing from Mindanao, Millan is keen on shedding more light on the rich culture of the land which was commonly referred to as “the land of promise” due to its bountiful biodiversity and natural resources.
“Bakit nag-promise sila na may future dito sa Mindanao? Because the land is simply so rich. The people are rich, not only in minerals, but in traditions, and most especially in knowledge and wisdom,” said Millan.
Despite this promise leading many to head to Mindanao in the hopes of being the first ones to experience the prosperous future it held, Millan pointed out how this had been tragically unrealized decades after it was made.
In his newest solo exhibit at the Manila Hotel entitled The Land of Premise, Millan spoke about how those who moved to Mindanao all those years ago had seen how the bountiful land had only faced numerous problems left unresolved, causing it to lag behind both Luzon and Visayas’ prosperity.
In the exhibit’s description, the artist spoke of how optimism for a brighter future would not usher it in as the people who have long been waiting for the promise to be fulfilled have lost sight of what brought hope to life in the first place.
“Our people, our diverse cultures and colors, our resources, and our stories were what the Land of Promise was premised on,” said the artist.
“If I were to put up a show here [in Manila], it might as well be a challenge. A challenge for us, for the people of Mindanao, to look back at the premise where the promise was premised on,” he added.
Featuring 14 of Millan’s paintings created whenever he took a break from working on his sculptures, the “Land of Premise” exhibition aims to showcase the dynamic and diverse cultural heritage of Mindanao through the artist’s vibrant abstract work.
The exhibit is on view until Aug. 31 at the Art Gallery in the Manila Hotel and is available to view for free. All of the artworks displayed are also available for purchase.
For more inquiries about how to avail Millan’s artworks from the exhibit, send an email to r.lo@themanilahotel.com.
