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Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Local boys armed with dos por dos
Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano bids this fare-thee-well to two homegrown artists setting their sights on Manila.
With the lack of local exhibition space in the city, and a seemingly low art patronage, Cebuano artists are setting their sights on Manila.
This could be a bright direction to take for artists with daring and enough bravery to launch themselves in the art scene of the national capital.
Come September 13, the dynamic duo of Bernardo Hermoso and Jet Florendo will invade Quezon city. Hermoso is a native of Danao, the northernmost city in Cebu province. His artistic career spans more than 30 years, one that commenced with a solo exhibit at the then Gallery 90 in 1975.
The numerous feathers in his hat have placed his native Danao in the artmap of the country. These include several first prizes in painting: Drug Abuse Prevention and Control (1976), Montebello Easter celebration on-the-spot contest (1986), Badian Island on-the-spot competition (1992), Martino Abellana Annual Art Competition (1992), Filipino Values by Filipino Inc. (1992), Cebu Art Association Contest (1992), Kolor Sugbu Art Contest (1992). Plus two grand prizes for the Andres Bonifacio Portrait Painting Contest by Chac (1997) and the International Year of the Child in 1980. He also garnered a gold medal for Unesco in 1981.
Hermoso has had eight one-man exhibitions, to list all of them (including numerous group shows and citations from a museum, school and professional organizations) will sound like a litany of achievements. His partner Jet Florendo has an equally extensive career, but as a sculptor. The recent works Florendo will introduce to the Manila audience are mostly made of molave or tugas hardwood.
As these are free-standing pieces, Florendo’s works will be filling the gallery’s floor area, while Hermoso’s oils and watercolors will blanket the walls. Both artists are equally adept in rendering the conservative and modernist genres of their chosen disciplines. This second two-man show called Dos Por Dos comes after their eventful dual show at the Ayala Museum years ago.
The venue is at the art gallery of the Philippine Heart Center. For all of us who cannot be there to see it, let’s content ourselves with a select few photographs of their finest works.
The artists are viajeros, as they take local art across the seas. I see this as a good career move, otherwise they become too immersed in their studios and tend to be reclusive. Thus, I bid our two local boys happy conquering in the realm of imperial Manila, and may they bring home the bacon.
(September 7, 2004 issue)
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