The life and work of National Artist for Literature Cirilo Bautista is remembered and celebrated in a 21-piece visual art zine collection.
The zine set is inspired by the multi-awarded poet, writer, essayist, critic, and educator’s renowned epic poem “The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus”, composed of “The Archipelago” (1970), “Telex Moon” (1981), and “Sunlight on Broken Stones” (1999.)
Produced by the Center of Campus Art (CCA) at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, the zine set is curated by CCA director Architect Gerry Torres, with Architect Harvey Vasquez of Benilde Architecture.
The anthology was rendered by contemporary artists and architects including Nel Banaag, Gringo Benedicto, Blic, Gab Brioso, Tricia Castillo, Julius Clar, Mariah Concepcion, Jackie Cruz, Bayani Galera, Winna Go, Miguel Infante, Doktor Karayom, Charles Mañez, Stephen Matti, Regina Morales, Walther Ocampo, Levyn Purcil, Robin Ravago, Gabby Rosario, Isola Tong, and Thea Torres.
The zine collection is part of an exhibit on the life and work of Bautista, presented in book form. The first 40 sets will be gifted to the family and literary friends of the poet and to the artists who shared their talent for this homage.
Meanwhile, a digital installation, entitled “House of Words”, reimagines the Quezon City home of the late poet and his wife Architect Rose Marie, the former dean of DLS-CSB School of Design and Arts.
Using the concept of Text as Image, architecture students Tracie Bejar, Bea Carague, Jackie Cruz, Janelle Gan, Kevin Nuñez, Emilio Tenorio, and Aaron Yu, together with multimedia arts students Marco Ajero, Gelo Fabian, Enrique Masias, and Raine Sanciangco meticulously selected phrases and stanzas from the epic poem and recreated the house using environmental graphics and architectonic volumes.
Bautista was a Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards hall of famer (given to those who have won more than five times), a 2012 Cultural Center of the Philippines Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awardee, and a 2013 National Commission for Culture and the Arts Achievement awardee.
The literary giant served as an instrumental figure at the DLSU Bienvenido Santos Creative Writing Center and at the University of Santo Tomas Center for Creative Writing and Studies. He paved the way for the foundation of some of the most reputable writing organizations in the country such as the Baguio Writers Club, Philippine Literary Arts Council, and the Iligan National Writers Workshop.