Art and antiques at the León’s Magnificent September Auction
LEON Gallery’s upcoming Magnificent September Auction 2020 will be held on Sept. 19, 2 p.m., at the Eurovilla I ground-floor salesrooms in Makati. Top-billing the lots are two works by Manila-based Jigger Cruz, the 2015 mixed media works Abstract I and Abstract II. Also up for bid are Ronald Ventura’s 2013 oil painting Cage; Yasmin Sison’s 2013 oil painting Sophie and the Goldfish; Bernardo Pacquing’s 2007 oil Pinched; and Mark Justiniani 2007 oil painting Tila. The local masters are also well represented in the auction, with National Artist for Painting Arturo Luz’s 1991 Celebration: Variation on the Juggler Theme and the late Romulo Olazo’s 1980 oil painting Diaphanous B-XXXVII. Aside from the artworks, antiques are also up for bid in the auction. There are rare pre-colonial archeological gold pieces from the 10th to 13th century: a three-coil gear beaded gold neckpiece from Surigao del Sur and a slit hoop with mammary ornament from Agusan; a set of 19th-century Calvario En Urna or Calvary scene encased in a Neo-Classical kamagong urn with ivory figurines, a wooden crucifix with silver-gilt rays, cantoneras, ynarre, paena, and tapis with pina cloth; and, a 19th-century kamagong Sillon Fraile or friar’s lounging chair previously owned by Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo. These and many more pieces can be viewed by appointment from Sept. 12 to 18, at Leon Gallery, Eurovilla I, Legazpi corner Rufino Sts., Legazpi Village, Makati. Visit www.leon-gallery.com for more information.
Local artists make murals honoring Kobe Bryant
NIKE Philippines honored the legacy of Kobe Bryant (1978-2020) with Mamba Week from Aug. 23-29. As part of the tribute, Nike teamed up with ARAL Cru, a local graffiti trio, to dedicate two murals around Metro Manila celebrating Kobe Bryant, his legacy and Mamba Mentality. The first mural that ARAL Cru created directly faces the historic Araneta Coliseum, the venue where Kobe Bryant made his last appearance in Manila. The portrait of Kobe on the right side of the artwork is derived from a photo of him smiling during his last visit to the coliseum. ARAL Cru relocated to Makai City to paint the second mural a few hours later. Called A New Day Dawning, the mural at EDSA-Kalayaan depicts Kobe wearing his two iconic jersey numbers, 8 and 24, shooting crumpled pieces of paper into a trash bin. ARAL Cru consists of Bvdot, Cinos, and Frank, a three-man graffiti crew from the Greater Manila Area. Through street painting and gallery work across the Philippines, they are today among the most respected young talents in the street art movement in the country.
Webinars, masses mark 2020 ‘Season of Creation’ celebration
OVER 70 church and civil organizations on Tuesday kicked off the Philippine celebration of the Season of Creation (SOC), an annual period of prayer and action observed by 2.2 billion Christians globally, and urged people of all faiths to respond to the call to care for Earth. From Sept. 1 to Oct. 11, Global Catholic Climate Movement Pilipinas (GCCM) and its partners will be providing liturgical resources and platforms to highlight ecological struggles in different communities around the country and the initiatives being made to address them. These resources are made available to the general public through the groups’ social media platforms. The online activities lined up include the launching of the Season of Creation, a Virtual Walk for Creation which features communities and sites battling ecological issues, daily reflections, and webinars and press conferences on issues such as Kaliwa Dam, mining, reclamation, financing of coal, promotion and defense of indigenous peoples and environmental defenders’ rights, the advancement of renewable energy, and the Rights of Nature campaign. Among the many webinars are: “A Jubilee for the Earth, a Just Transition for our Planet: Asia and Oceania,” “The Universe Story,” “Ecumenism in the Grassroot Level and Safeguard to Our Common Home,” “Waste-to-Energy Incineration and its Threat to Ecological Integrity,” and “Spirituality of Creation.” There will also be the online screening of the Our Power Documentary on Sept. 14, 3-5 p.m. For more details visit the Season of Creation events page at https://web.facebook.com/events/577831182888521/