The last Friday of August marked the opening of the eighth Tubo Cebu Art Fair, an event now known to its growing clientele as the place to see artwork from the past, present and foreseeable future.
Highlighting the legacy of the Dean of Cebuano Painters, Martino “Tinong” Abellana, and the ripple effect of his mentoring, the exhibit featured his pieces alongside works by his students and their students. Three generations of creatives shared one space, welcoming a diverse crowd and giving artists at their booths the chance to share their art and themselves with the public.
Opening ceremonies included welcome remarks from Fair Director and Arts Council trustee Allen Arvin Tan, followed by Curator Jay Nathan Jore’s announcement of the Art Award recipients. Jore also introduced this year’s image of the fair, aptly called “Provenance.”
The piece was co-created by four artists: architect John Villoria, Gabi Nazareno, Khriss Bajade and Jonathan Abellana, who said his self-portrait in the work expressed a state of utter confusion.