OCTOBER 2-9, 2011
@
SM Mall of Asia

ABAKADA ng Sining

Using the outstanding collection of Philippine contemporary art of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the exhibit takes the viewers through a Filipino alphabet-inspired exploration of key concepts in the field of visual arts and key personalities in the Philippine art scene. The exhibit is filled with art tidbits that aim to educate about the colourful and broad spectrum of the visual arts - from school and movements, forms, techniques, materials, and local art personalities.

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AKO Self Portraits: From 1800s to the Present

Self portraiture as an artform has flourished in various media and manner for more reasons than recording a human face or figure. A self portrait at face value is an art study of a face. At the artist's will, it can be the baring of one aspect at one moment of one complex self. A self portrait may be for the artist's satisfaction. Reproducing one's self visually once or many times makes a pictorial aoutobiography. Images of the self serve role-playing, and can attend to the ego too.

Self-portraiture as a single focal exhibition theme has rarely, if ever, been done locally. The exhibition AKO: Self portraits explored this form primarily at a basic level, showing likenesses of artists. Illustrated too, however, were various interpretations that exhibited the artists' figuration skills, techniques, and handling of medium of choice.

The exhibition comprises of 37 self portraits as depicted in painting, sculptures, drawing, photography, and prints. The components ranged from the works of pre-20th century masters such Juan Luna (a full-bodied back-to-the-viewer of himself, post-fencing), national Artist Bencab, Romulo Galicano, Santiago Bose, Juvenal Sanso, Kiko Escora, Lenore RS Lim, Julie Lluch, Jerusalino Araos, Wig Tysman and Bobot Meru, and the fresher promising talents in Philippine art.

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