Metrobank Foundation awardees in art & design named

MANILA, Philippines - Eleven winners for the year 2011 will be added to the roster of awardees of the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) in its five competitions, namely: Painting, Sculpture, Interior Design, Architecture and Metrobank Prize for Achievement in Sculpture (MPAS). From various creative disciplines, this year’s winners represent both traditional and contemporary artistic techniques.

 “We are proud to present our winners who have come from cross-disciplinary backgrounds both in art and design. This is a testament on how MADE was able to converge different disciplines in our aim to promote excellence among Filipino artists and designers” said Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto M. Sobrepeña.

Painting

Oil-on-Canvas category grand prize winner, Jericho Valjusto G. Vamenta, utilized his art to flesh out relevant issues on gender and switching social roles. His work titled “Ang Mrs. Eden Maleta sa Mundo ni Tatang Danilo” depicts the increasing phenomenon of “housebands” in the country. On the other hand, using mainly the imagery of children to contradict the seriousness of political issues in the country, 29-year-old Alexander Roxas won second prize. Particularly riveting is his use of skillful brushstrokes to achieve real–life textures in his painting, “Uncorrupted.” On the same category, 26-year-old Julmard Dao-It Vicente won third place for his painting, “Prosti-tuition.” Vicente’s work bravely exposes the taboo issue of student prostitution which remains one of the most alarming issues among the youth of today.

Giving light to the environmental issues, Painting Competition — Watermedia Category grand prize winner, Chrisanto N. Aquino, in his artwork titled “Oil’s Kill” reminds the public of their responsibility to save our marine ecosystem. Watermedia Category special prize winner, Eduardo P. Santos, Jr. tackles authority and power play in his artwork entitled “Hierarchy.”

Sculpture

Equally brilliant are the Sculpture Competition winners which both expresses modern contemporary and avant-garde sculpture pieces that set the future and trend in the field of sculpture making in the country. Jonathan V. Dangue channeled his emotions to his piece “Walang Pinanghahawakang Anuman Sa Palad” made of bamboo toothpicks put together to form an image of a spiral distorted hand. Also playing with balance and contemporary use of aluminum metal as medium is special prize winner Van Cleef Emnacen. In his piece “Control Freak” the artist challenges our consumerist society to question what or who is really in control of our lives.

This year’s Metrobank Prize for Achievement in Sculpture (MPAS) winner is Priscillano Vicaldo. He worked as an apprentice to National Artists Napoleon Abueva and Jose Joya while he was studying Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines Diliman, from whom he acquired his skills in sculpting the anatomy of the human form in balance and gymnastic positions. Vicaldo’s depiction of the human body is similar to the perfect human form of the Greek aesthetic. The bodies seem to be in motion putting emphasis on the muscular stretches and poses that captures the curves of the human form. From being an apprentice, Vicaldo is on his way to becoming a future master. He is set to sustain the fading artistry of the aesthetic human form amidst the emergence of new styles and mediums in sculpture.

Interior Design

Angelo del Mundo, Interior Design Competition grand prize winner, takes inspiration from Chinese ceramic pottery varying from Ming white and blue, celadon and blanc de chine as color palette in his design titled “Urban Asian.” While Interior Designer Childy Elamparo, special prize winner of the Interior Design Competition, rendered a truly Filipino design combining modern condo living with a rural atmosphere in her design titled “Urbanized Filipino Bukid Living.”

Architecture

For the Architecture Competition, a convergence of rural and urban design is also highlighted. An architect from IloIlo won the grand prize in the competition, Oscar J. Peñasales. He also owns the winning residential structure which is located in Iloilo. His house resembles the practical features of the bahay kubo using modern and sustainable materials to adapt to the natural settings like climate and land formations. The Peñasales house is elevated with steel stilts as one of the sustainable and practical features of the house designed to make the least impairment to the surrounding natural environment with minimal cost.

All winners will be honored in ceremonies to be held on Sept. 15 at the Le Pavillon in Pasay City. Aside from a glass trophy designed by sculptor Noell EL Farol, the awardees will also receive cash prizes. The grand prize winners will receive P200,000 each, while the special prize winners will get P150,000 each. The second prize and third prize winners for the Oil/Acrylic on Canvas category of the Painting Competition will get P170,000 and P150,000, respectively. The winning works, as well as the semi-finalist’s, will also be exhibited on Sept. 16 and 17 in the same venue. Some of the semifinalists’ artworks will also be on sale during those dates mentioned.

The pioneering art competition of the Metrobank Foundation since 1984, MADE former winners include art masters such as Bobby Feleo, Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Duddley Diaz, Dan Raralio, Noell El Farol, Alfredo Esquillo Jr., Ronald Ventura and Gabby Barredo. Established architects and designers such as Noel Tan, Michael Peña, Jericho Adriano, John David O’Yek and Angelo Mañosa. Interior designers Marybeth Tabaquin, Jasmine O’yek Sy, Wilhelmina Garcia, April Frigillana and Karina Diana Cortez.