By Susan Claire Agbayani

ADA LEDESMA-MABILANGAN remembers when she was five years old and growing up in the family home where she was surrounded by works of artist Esabelio Napoleon “Billy” Veloso Abueva. They were found at the front door, the terrace, and, inside the house along Dewey Blvd. (now Roxas Blvd.) in Baclaran, Parañaque City, were his paintings such as Rice Planting, which won for Abueva first place at the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) contest in 1952.

In time, Abueva’s studio was in Tierra Verde, a property in Quezon City which was developed by the Kalaw-Ledesmas in the 1970s.

“Billy (Abueva) was family,” Ms. Mabilangan said during the program in honor of the late National Artist for Visual Arts at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last Sunday, Feb. 25. Ms. Mabilangan is the daughter of art patron Purita Kalaw-Ledesma — the founder of the AAP — and one of the country’s main proponents of the modern art movement.

Ms. Mabilangan noted that the families of the Kalaw-Ledesmas and Abuevas go back a long way. “My grandmother, Pura Villanueva-Kalaw, and Billy’s mother, Purificacion Veloso-Abueva, both worked for women’s suffrage,” she said.

After the Second World War, Ms. Kalaw established a scholarship fund for young writers. Although Ms. Mabilangan’s grandmother “preferred writers” (like Andres Cristobal Cruz), she acceded to her daughter Purita’s request because “my mother believed in the talent of Billy.”

“It was the first scholarship Abueva got. It was his big break, and he never forgot,” Ms. Mabilangan said.

MEMORIES OF AN ARTIST, FRIEND
“My kids call him lolo (grandfather),” glass sculptor Ramon Orlina said of Abueva.

The two artists celebrated their birthdays a day apart, Abueva on the 26th of January, and Orlina on the 27th. Last month, they celebrated their birthdays at Abueva’s hospital room with champagne, and with Gilopez Kabayao playing his violin.

Unknown to many, Mr. Orlina was trained to be an architect and was a practitioner until 1973. He then shifted to art, eventually focusing on glass. He studied glass art in Czechoslovakia, and had his first art exhibit in 1975.

Reminiscing about his friend during the tribute at the CCP, Mr. Orlina said that Mr. Abueva was “a carpenter, a mason, and a (frustrated) welder, and architect.”

“He was always supportive and generous. He gave me uplifting words of praise. He was kind in lending equipment,” Mr. Orlina recalled.

His voice breaking, the teary-eyed Mr. Orlina addressed the coffin of his friend as he lay in state on the CCP Main Theater stage: “You believed in me. It’s a joy and honor to have [had] you in my life. I’ll cherish your memory.”

It’s not just the Kalaw-Ledesma-Mabilangans and Orlinas who considered Abueva family. During the CCP tribute, Jorge A. Consunji, president and chief executive officer of DM Consunji, Inc. (DMCI), remembered the “sumptuous Filipino spreads, breakfasts in the house, birthday dinners…” as well as the many collaborations between the artist and DMCI, one of which was the crucifix and the altar at the center of the church of the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice at UP Diliman, in the mid-1950s.

Mr. Consunji fondly remembered the artist “combing for materials in our motor pool for hours and hours, for different modes of fabrications.”

He said that Abueva “lived 88 years… with much love in art, appreciated by many…”

Fellow National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario pointed out how Mr. Abueva has 1,200 known works. He also noted that “the vanguard of modern sculpture” holds the record of having been the youngest person to have been conferred the National Artist award at age 46 in 1976; even if Mr. Abueva once jokingly said that most national artists were seniors who were “in the pre-departure era.”

Mr. Almario said that his fellow National Artist brings with him to his grave, “our highest respect.” He also quipped that Mr. Abueva’s pension was well worth it for the Philippine government.

“Billy was a playful artist,” noted National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose. “This playfulness was very much reflected in his work. He was surrounded by ‘junk.’ These were once trees; beautiful living things given new shape. Beauty is what binds us together as a fractured people by brave and caring hands,” Mr. Jose said.

The late artist’s brother Jose “Pepe” Abueva, who once was president of the University of the Philippines, expressed his gratitude to both CCP and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for the honors they gave his brother.

THE UP COMMUNITY
A tribute was also given by the community of UP Diliman, at the chapel where one of his best known works is showcased.

Art historian, UP professor, and author Santiago “Jack” Pilar recalled having recently watched the film Ben Hur when he met Mr. Abueva for the first time many decades ago. And he thought that in a way the artist resembled Charlton Heston, and described him as “a man of few words.”

“Billy had a crush on all of us (his classmates at UP College of Fine Arts), until (his wife) Cherry came along,” recalled artist Araceli Limcaoco Dans, best known for her still life paintings featuring calado fabric.

During the tribute, Ms. Dans mentioned Mr. Abueva’s sculptures made entirely of sugar and salt, and how he slept at museums to polish these works during a biennale in Europe (the exact city of which, she no longer recalls).

Mr. Dans introduced to the audience Tito Sanchez — Abueva’s mentee who had been a recipient of two consecutive outstanding sculpture art awards. Ms. Sanchez expressed his sincerest gratitude to the man for what he has achieved, “[Salamat sa] taus-pusong pagtulong, malayo ang [aking] narating (Thaks to his full-hearted help, I have gone far).”

Former dean Florentina Penaranda Colayco, now president of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila said that although she didn’t come from the ranks of College of Fine Arts, “he was very supportive” when she became dean.

Both women noted Mr. Abueva’s penchant for giving ladies (from colleagues to canteen staff) red roses.

“He’s an artist worth his salt. He’s petmalu, lodi and werpa, all rolled into one,” remarked former UP officer for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts Ruben Defeo, using recent slang for “tough,” “idol,” and “power.”

Indeed, as UP Chancellor Michael Tan said: “UP is not UP if not for the sculptures of Abueva.” He cited some of these — the gateway as one enters the university via University Ave., Siyam na Diwata ng Sining at the Faculty Center which survived the recent fire, and Magdangal at the UP College of Arts and Letters. He is also known for Kaganapan, Kiss of Judas, 30 Pieces of Silver, The Transfiguration at the Eternal Garden Memorial Park, the Sunburst at The Peninsula’s lobby, the bronze figure of T.M. Kalaw in front of the National Library, and marble murals at the National Heroes Shrine in Mt. Samat, Bataan.

At the UP tribute to her father, Mr. Abueva’s only daughter Amihan remarked, “UP was his spiritual home. We lived and were nurtured here (at Area 17).” She recalled how he would drag a stone or a boulder wherever he could find it; how he would have wanted a sculpture garden where the boat (Fredesminda 2) was located.

“Pakiusap lang, sana maalagaan, para rin makilala siya ng mga susunod na henerasyon (May we just make a request that these art works be taken care of, so that the succeeding generations would know him),” Amihan Abueva said.

As if to return his generous gesture to all the people he met and touched during his lifetime, as the ceremony ended at the CCP, his “vessel” to the afterlife was surrounded by hundreds of red roses.

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