THE Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) released postage stamps to celebrate Christmas 2023.
The special Christmas stamps feature the classic rendition of Mother and Child artworks of award winning visual artist Al Perez, which reflect the human view of the relationship between the mother and child. Like Mary, Mother of Jesus, the love of a Mother to her child is enduring and endless.
The love the mother gives to her child is made of deep devotion, sacrifice and pain.
The special Christmas Stamps portray the colorful artworks of a child cradled in her Mother’s arm as she gently gazes down with love. Motherhood has always been a sacred and noble vocation. In the Philippines, artists have made countless renditions of mother and child from classical to modern art.
Mother and Child as subject of art is definitely Christian in origin and symbol. It fascinated artists for centuries and was made as icons for worship in Christian churches.
Al Perez, the artist is a native of Hagonoy, Bulacan and a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas.(1968); at the Artist League of New York U.S.A. (1984): School of Visual Arts New York U.S.A. (1996).
Best known for his meticulous and realistic rendition of old churches, he has recorded every important church in the country. He is the acknowledged aquarelle (watercolor) master of Baroque churches. His genre of painting includes Philippine rural scenes, nipa houses, portraits, nudes, flowers, mother and child and landscapes.
Perez is the President of Lakan Sining ng Bulacan. He is a 1975 recipient of Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) thirteenth most promising artist award including the Most Outstanding Bulakeno in the Field of Painting in 1980.
PHLPost has printed 20,000 copies of the four (4) different designs of the stamps with a denomination of P16.00 and another 800 pieces of limited first day cover envelopes as collector’s items. PHLPost in-house graphic artist Jose Antonio A. Jayme layout the stamps.
The Stamps and official first day covers shall be available at the second floor of Manila Central Post Office Annex Bldg. located at the back of the fire gutted historic structure. PR