SELECTED alumni of the College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) mounted some of their artworks in Benavides II as they celebrated the “good life,” from July 25 to August 20, in Taguig.
Eric Cachero, Rey de Guzman, Jaime de los Santos, Pedro Garcia II, Ninoy Lumboy, Noli Vicedo and Joe Datuin collectively call themselves as the Benavides Art Group, inspired from the Spanish phrase “Buena Vides,” which means the good life in English.
The artists used their own respective medium but were united in their mission to promote “goodness, beauty and truth” through their compositions.
Artistic outlet
Painting for more than 14 years, Garcia rendered his life experiences in romanticized tones. “Black & White, Purple & Gray,” showed a couple getting married in subdued hues.
From afar, Lumboy’s “Cosmic Garden VII” may be seen as a mosaic but up close, it showed his own style of painting called “crosshatchism.” The abstract piece is rendered with multiple intersecting parallel lines in vibrant hues, depicting different sizes of circles creating a colorful pattern.
Retrospective of his life in the province as a child, Vicedo portrayed a farmer in genuflect while holding his crops in “Man’s Harvest.” The piece showcased Vicedo’s own style of cubism with the asymmetrical division of the portrait.
Meanwhile, De los Santos, former dean of CFAD, presented two parallel portraits of a woman shown in different angles clad in an elegant filipiniana titled “Twin Feather I and II.” At first glance, the two seem alike in every nuance of color, aesthetics and counterpart positioning, but there lies a shift in the mood of the background and facial expression of the woman from apparent contentment to despondence.
The lone sculptor in the group, world acclaimed artist Datuin believes in creating a purity of form in his artworks using stainless steel as his ‘honest’ material. Datuin showcased his limited edition sculpture “Dancing Rings” which depicted five metal rings in seeming flight while dancing fluidly together.
Known for his graphic designs, Cachero’s “Cadillac Small” displayed the front view of the famous luxury vehicle in shades of bright orange, purple and blue colors with distinct floral patterns. It was made using acrylic and tempera paint mixed with ink. The simple black and white ornamental sketches as backdrop emphasized the compartmentalization of the diverse colors.
Influenced mostly by the works of his uncle, master painter and printmaker Mario Parial, de Guzman captured frozen time in crashing of the waves during nighttime while two fishes seemingly danced above sea level creating hues in silver and blue splashes in his painting, “Treasures of the Sea.”
The artists initially met at the iconic Benavides monument while reminiscing their younger years in the University. This occasion spurred the group to start showcasing pieces, and adopted the University founder’s name.
