To celebrate the 13 Filipino artists selected by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for the prestigious 2018 Thirteen Artists Awards (TAA), a night of drinks and socializing, with the theme: “CCP’s 13 Artists Awards 2018: The Benilde Exhibit,” was held last October 19 at Vatel Restaurant, Hotel Benilde.
The awardees, namely performance artist Bea Camacho, photographer Carlo Gabuco, dancer Eisa Jocson, filmmaker Shireen Seno, visual artists Zeus Bascon, Cian Dayrit, Janos Dela Cruz, Dina Gadia, Guerrero Habulan, Doktor Karayom, Raffy Napay, Archie Oclos, and Lynyrd Paras, were given the spotlight.
The TAA honors the responsiveness from an artist’s work and integrity on showcasing the contemporary realities for the last three years. The works of the winning artists achieved CCP’s goal of restructuring, restrengthening, and renewing Philippine Art.
Other side of art
Russel Trinidad, a.k.a ‘Doktor Karayom,’ has a morbid style by using a red palette as his main component, reflecting the gruesome disease or death reality of life. Trinidad explained the title of his other artwork, ISLA INIP, which is an anagram for PILIPINAS. He has used Rizal’s dissected body in a metaphorical perspective where Filipinos live inside his system that depicts its increasing pungent smell in the country; proving people just try to mask it with a scent of perfume instead of cleaning the scheme.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Benildean, street artist Oclos shared his inspiration for his artworks, including murals about the violent extrajudicial killings happening in the country.
“Coming from a lower class family kami, sa mga magsasaka, so ang inspirasyon ko sa mga works ko is based from the life in the roots of being farmer, indigenous people, ang mga mas oppressed na class sa society; sila ang nakakaranas ng karahasan, land displacement, walang karapatan sa lupa ganoon…Dahil nangyayari ang mga ‘yon, there’s a need for me as an artist to tell those stories and events sa community,” Oclos said.
Moreover, multimedia artist Napay said in an interview he contributes in promoting arts in the Philippines by holding workshops in provinces. Napay uses varied media but he has recently focused on thread—a material that shows how he is a son of a seamstress.
In another interview with The Benildean, contemporary artist Paras advised people with a passion for the arts to “[not] just be a painter, be an artist.” He also explained the difference between merely finishing a painting versus creating something that would surely be “eye-to-heart” captivating for the crowd, such as conveying a message worth remembering.
The 2018 winners were judged by a panel of jurors, which included past winners such as Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi (1972), Leonilo Doloricon (1990), Noel Cuizon (1994), Yasmin Sison-Ching (2006).
The TAA exhibit opened last October 18 and will be up until December 23, 2018 at the Bulwagang Juan Luna (Main Gallery), Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino (3F Hallway), Pasilyo Vicente Manansala (2F Hallway), CCP Powerhouse, and Pasay Side Lawn.
In addition, Benilde targets to exhibit these artworks at the 12th floor of the School of Design and Arts Campus from December 2018 to February or March of 2019.
