Pandy Aviado
Virgilio "Pandy" Aviado is one of the country's innovators of contemporary printmaking. Early on, Aviado recognized his artistic talent and chose to develop it at the PWU College of Music and Fine Arts under the guidance of Manuel Rodriguez Sr., a legendary printmaker. After graduating in 1967, he had his first solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery, representing the Philippines in the Sao Paulo Biennial in Brazil. Aviado receives a fine arts scholarship from Relaciones Culturales de Espana in Madrid, Spain in 1969. In 1986, he returned to PWU, where he became Dean of the College of Music and Fine Arts until 1989. In addition, Aviado held the positions of director of the CCP's Visual Arts Coordinating Center and president of the Art Association of the Philippines.
For his devotion to and excellence in printmaking, Virgilio "Pandy" Aviado received the Patnubay ng Sining Award the highest recognition an artist can receive from the city government of Manila during the Araw ng Maynila celebration in 2009, and The Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2018.
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Rodney Martinez
Rodney Martinez is a name synonymous with Negrense Art. He is considered as one of the pillars of the art movement in Visayas.
A graduate of Fine Arts with a major in Advertising from the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, he trained under the tutelage of famous masters Galo Ocampo, Victor Edades and Cenon Rivera, as well as another Bacolodnon creative, Larry Tronco. After 16 years of teaching Architecture and Advertising at the La Consolacion - Bacolod, Rodney finally decided to pursue his passion in painting and establish the Art Association of Bacolod in 1975.
Known for his vibrant “spiritual” works even when social realism was at its peak in the country during the 1980s, Rodney’s passion for his craft and steadfastness for his distinct style rightfully earned him a place in Philippine art, as well as, the “Most Outstanding Alumni” awards from both UST and LCC. With more than 15 one-man shows in various parts of the country under his belt, Rodney is far from slowing down and continues to produce masterpieces that bring exuberance and positivity not only in the Philippines but to the rest of the world.
Celso Pepito
Celso Duazo Pepito (born 1956) earned a Fine Arts degree from the University of the Philippines Cebu in 1981. Martino Abellana, known as the "Dean of Cebuano Artists," inspired Pepito to become an impressionist-realist painter. Pepito, on the other hand, gradually moved to his own kind of Cubism around 1994.
When viewing Pepito's artworks, one recognizes two recurring motifs: the three planar divisions used as backdrops for his figurative subjects and the sun octagon. These depict the artist's three main messages: love of God, love of family, and love of country.
Pepito's painting expresses his deep spirituality and dedication to a lifelong mission through his art. He is a firm belief that positive social change begins in the family, which is why his works consistently represent family values and traditions, as well as a sense of nationalism exemplified by characters striving for self-reliance and dignity through hard work and labor.
With a reputation for using cubic simplicity in the creation of his works, honest sincerity is a crucial component in the internal dynamics of Pepito's art - art that strives to give hope, inspire, educate, and empower.
Hermisanto
Hermisanto, a native of San Mateo, Isabela, is a multimedia artist who is best known for his experimental art pieces using unhusked rice or “palay”. He is an alumnus of the University of Philippines’ College of Fine Arts who rose to become one of the foremost “rice artists” in Asia.
A member of both the Avante-Garde Group and the Remedios Circle, two of the country’s most illustrious groups of creative minds, Hermisanto is himself a force to be reckoned with. He is after all a master artist with several one-man shows under his belt and has represented the Philippines twice in ASEAN Art Festivals namely: the Artist Creative Interaction at the Thailand Cultural Center, Bangkok in 1992 and the ASEAN Workshop Exhibition & Symposium Aesthetics at the Takashimaya Gallery, Singapore in 1995.
In using our most staple food in his artworks, Hermisanto elevates what he considers, “the essence of the Asian spirit” in his every masterpiece.
Get to know more about the artist, his innovations, and the motivation behind his creations.
Sam Penaso
Sam Penaso is a multidisciplinary artist whose works encompass traditional painting, sculpture, and performance art.
He represented the Philippines in the 8th Beijing International Art Biennale in China (2019); the Exhibition Exchange in Hanoi, Vietnam (2018); the Nippon International Performance Art Festivals (2005 and 2011); the Asian International Art Exhibition in Bandung, Indonesia; the ArTriangle in Malaysia; and the Young Art Philippines Europe Tour in Seoul, Korea. He has also exhibited in Japan, Thailand, Austria, Germany, Singapore, New York, Abu Dhabi, and Berlin, among other countries.
Penaso’s string of accolades includes first-prize wins in the 2012 Art Association of the Philippines Annual Art Competition, the 2014 and 2016 GSIS Art Competitions, and the 2013 Asian Cultural Council (ACC) International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York. In 2018, he was presented with a merit award by the Philippine Art Awards. In the same year, he received the Metrobank Awards for Continuing Excellence and Service (Metrobank ACES). And in 2019 he won the Excellence Award for the Don Papa Rum Arts competition during the 6th Geoje International Art Festival in South Korea.
Sam Penaso is a founding member of the performance art collective Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA). He hails from Bohol and studied Fine Arts at the Technological University of the Philippines.
