NATURE-INSPIRED scenes are showcased by UST Fine Arts alumna Lolita Valderrama-Savage in her first exhibit titled Savage Nature at the UST Museum Main Gallery from Nov. 9 to Dec. 10.
Savage Nature was the artist’s reaffirmation of her Thomasian roots and her way of celebrating the University’s Quadricentennial. The exhibit featured artworks depicting her travels abroad and her “communion with nature.”
“UST brought out in me a sense of discipline which made me into a strong and hard-working person ready to face the world,” Savage said.
A graduate of the former College of Architecture and Fine Arts (Cafa), Savage also obtained a diploma from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy.
Aside from going under the tutelage of famous artists like Silvio Loffredo and Staffan Halstrom, Savage was the first Filipina to have a one-woman show in Stockholm and other cities around Sweden, as well as the first Filipina to mount an exhibit at Palazzo Strozzi and a one-woman show at Casa di Dante in Florence, Italy.
With French Impressionists like Pizarro and Mognet as her inspiration, Savage’s works are a showcase of nature’s grandeur amid tranquility.
“Trees of Passion” depicts the fusion of a cypress and an olive tree that embodies Christ’s passion on the cross. Blood flows down to the roots symbolizing the birth of a new life. The cross-shaped artwork is displayed with a frame shaped like its canvas.
“Il Tramonto” bears the classical view of sunset, with the sun outlined in fiery red and gold as it sets down the horizon.
On the other hand, “Loch Ness” portrays the lake with the mythical Loch Ness monster in an otherwise tranquil state. The water doesn’t show a hint of fury, while trees and their fallen leaves sway gently with the wind.
“When you watch nature you can actually see what happens to human beings,” said Savage, adding that nature has always moved and inspired her work.
