UST-CAFA artists reunite in show

FOUR YEARS ago, visual artist Maris Medina thought of organizing a reunion with her batch mates from the UST College of Fine Arts, Advertising batch 1980. With the help of social media, she was able to rekindle old friendships. Aside from a planned reunion, she spearheaded the idea of mounting a batch exhibit.

Ten artists committed to joining the exhibition. In 2016, the UST-CAFA batch 1980 mounted its first exhibit at the Sta Lucia Mall in line with the celebration of Grandparents Day.

Unfortunately, Ms. Medina passed away suddenly a year later. Her husband (and batchmate), painter and sculptor Alex Medina, stepped in to continue his late wife’s advocacy.

“We asked our classmates if they wanted to have a reunion… Until that time we were about to have an exhibit, there was a sudden death. So, that’s where I came in to continue pursuing the exhibit,” Mr. Medina told BusinessWorld in a mixture of English and Filipino, at the exhibit’s launch at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City on March 26.

“When she passed away, the idea died for almost a year and a half. So I thought, I needed to continue it since it was my wife’s dream,” Mr. Medina said.

This year, the UST-CAFA batch 1980 mounted its second exhibit titled, Dimensions at the Philippine Heart Center Lobby Gallery 10.

“We just followed what we really liked to do,” fashion designer Edgar San Diego said about the diversity of works.

On view are works by freelance photographer Willie De Vera, painter Jane Arieta Ebarle, photographer and painter Chito Ignacio, freelance interior designer Cecil Lane, photographer Jun Lopez, painters Vito Renato Panganiban and Jun Quinton, fashion designer Edgar San Diego, and sculptor Sheldon Villanueva. The exhibit includes abstracts, sculptures, portraits, and photo prints. Each artist also did a small work on paper incorporating their own aesthetics accented with red pigments which were posted side by side.

For the next exhibit, Mr. Medina hopes for the group to pursue artworks depicting social relevance.

If his wife were still around, she would have been happy to witness the continuation.

“Siyempre, happy ’yun (Of course, she would be happy),” Mr. Medina said. “She’d say, ‘Good job, my dear.’”

The Philippine Heart Center is located at East Ave, Diliman, Quezon City. Dimensions runs until April 13. — Michelle Anne P. Soliman