Sunday, January 20, 2008 The many faces of the child Jesus By Jenara Regis Newman
OF course, there is only one child Jesus. But because there are no pictures of Him and man has a way of making His beloved what He presumes it to be, the Child Jesus has taken on many faces, according to the concept of the artist, and many “titles,” according to the whimsy of the devotee. One gets to see these in the five Santo Niño exhibits currently ongoing in Ayala, SM, the Cathedral Museum, the Val Sandiego house in Parian and in the Santo Niño museum at the basilica.
For Ayala, the Santo Niño exhibit has been a yearly affair it first opened. This year the theme is “Contemplating the Face of the Child Jesus in the Bible.”
Dominating the exhibit are three huge paintings at the back wall showing the nativity scene, the circumcision and the Child Jesus in the synagogue, as well as two paintings of the Child’s face.
For SM, this is the first time to have a Santo Niño exhibit and the theme is “Contemplating the Face of Jesus as a Child in Art.” It is a collector’s exhibit of icons old and new, in wood, ivory and other materials. Enlarged in a tarpaulin print is a small ivory statue of the Child Jesus as king.
This is also the first time the Cebu Cathedral Museum has chosen to have a Santo Niño exhibit with the them “And a Child Shall Lead Them.” Here is where you can find Jesus playing on a swing!
The fourth exhibit is at Val Sandiego’s 17th century Parian house. If you’re in the vicinity, you won’t miss it because there is a life size statue of the Blessed Mother carrying the Child Jesus beckoning you from an upstairs window.
The exhibit is entirely of Val’s collection of the Santo Niño, mostly antiques in wood and coming from the towns of Cebu.
The Santo Niño museum has, of course, its permanent exhibit of the Santo Niño and his accouterments (as well as that of the basilica) plus a special exhibit of the Santo Niño on the theme “Meditating on the Image of the Santo Niño in Native Art.” The Niños on display here are mostly of wood both from Cebu and Bohol.
The Sandiego exhibit is open to the public from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. while the Ayala and SM exhibit are open during mall hours and the museum exhibits, during museum hours.
Incidentally, the St. Theresa’s College Folk Life Museum will also have its own exhibit of the Santo Niño, as will Marco Polo Plaza, both of which are not yet open as of deadline time for this section.
