THE SOCIO-CULTURAL dimension of Philippine chairs across history was tackled in the exhibit, in Salumpuwit, Bangko, Silya, Atbp., Chairs in Filipino Life, at the UST Museum from Feb. 13 to 29.
Architect Gerald Lico, head of the National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, explained how chairs are products of their social milieu.
“Chairs can be symbols of authority,” said Lico. “They can be instruments of discipline.” He added that understanding chairs requires insights into the many forces that have affected forms and functions.
Part of the National Arts Month, the exhibit featured works by several celebrated names in the furniture-making industry, including Thomasian alumni Milo Naval, Benji Reyes, Ched Berenguer-Topacio, and Leo Almeria.
The Museum’s own collection of liturgical chairs, which include two papal chairs used by Blessed John Paul II during his visits to the country in 1981 and 1995, were also highlighted.
The exhibit also presented miniature chair designs by selected Industrial Design majors from the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD), as well as a liturgical chair from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines.
The centerpiece of the exhibit was Topacio’s “Petal Folding Chair,” which was a part of her “Petal Collection.” The collection received the Roscoe Award in the United States in 1987, making her the first Asian to win the prestigious award. Made of woven rattan on forged iron frame, the chair smoothly folds and opens like a flower, thus, the name.
On the other hand, Almeria’s works were made of a prototype gun-metal finish, usually made into weave-like patterns and intricate loops that form ribbons and eyelets. “Klismos Lounge Chair with Foot Stool” came in a metallic-grey hue and made to look like a woven piece with its backrest shaped into an inward curve. “K’Ang Accent Chair,” donning the same hue, featured a low, splat-less, stile-only backrest and simple armrests and bases.
Naval’s “Woven Day Bed” was painted black and shaped like a wave resting on two metal poles. Accompanying it were pieces that served as accents such as a small mattress and two pillows made of cheesecloth.
Meanwhile, the works of Reyes exuded a soft and comforting aura as his designs avoided sharp edges. His “Tumba-tumba” was a rocking chair with minimal lines and curving feet. What added elegance to his works was his use of wooden pegs to fasten pieces together instead of using conventional nails.
Guest lecturers present during the lecture-forum were CFAD associate professor Guillerma Mendoza, University of the Philippines’ College of Home Economics Senior Lecturer Gaille Vergara, and furniture designer Benjamin Bacamante. The lecturers talked about Spanish period vernacular chairs and colonial traditions, ergonometric and anthropometric standards, and bases of a good chair design, respectively.
Anna Marie Bautista, assistant director of the UST Museum, said the exhibit should show chairs should not be taken for granted.
“This exhibit not only highlights the role of chairs in interior designing as well as the visual and aesthetic aspect,” Bautista said. “It also shows chairs in a different view—like electric chairs, chairs of authority, and even toilet seats. The designs are correlated to the function. There are symbolisms that we don’t usually see.”
