AN ALUMNA of the old UST Faculty of Philosophy and Letters was among the 10 recipients of the coveted Gawad Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Para sa Sining Award, conferred on Sept. 20.
UST philosophy graduate Julie Lluch, a sculptor known for her terracotta and clay work, received the Gawad CCP, the highest recognition accorded by the center to artists or groups.
She was conferred the recognition “for her terracotta sculptures that mirror and reflect the wisdom she had acquired as she took on different life roles, initiating a resurgence in artmaking in the Philippines,” according to the citation.
“The thing about this award that causes me some unease is the [likelihood] that I will spend the rest of my artistic days trying to justify this award to myself,” Lluch said in her acceptance speech in the awards ceremony at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati.
“The Gawad CCP should spur me not to the greater heights but to the lower pits, where every artist worth his salt needs to plummet and descend into the lower depths that he may see, touch, smell, feel the testament of ways of suffering humanity,” she added.
Lluch started in 1976, launching her first exhibition the following year. Her emergence in the art scene coincided with the resurgence of the feminist movement, the influences of which were apparent in her work.
Recognized for her life-size terracotta, stone, ceramic, and bronze portraits, Lluch has displayed her sculptures in various international displays and exhibitions.
The other recipients of the 2024 Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Award were Gener Caringal for dance, Joey Ayala for music, Lea Salonga for theater, Jose Lacaba Jr. for literature, Mike de Leon and Mario O’ Hara for film, Gino Gonzales for design and allied arts, Marilyn Gamboa for cultural work, and the Loboc Children’s Choir for regional arts.
Former senator Edgardo Angara and retail magnate Nedy Tantoco were posthumously conferred the Tanging Parangal, given to individuals in the government or private sector who have supported the development of Philippine culture and arts.
The late Oscar Yatco, a longtime conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, received the Tanging Pagkilala.
Other Thomasians who had won the Gawad CCP include Roberto Chabet for visual arts, Ben Farrales for culture and fashion, Zenaida Amador for theater, Florentino Hornedo for cultural research, and Raul Sunico for music.
The 2024 awardees were given a citation, a medal, and P50,000 for living recipients.
The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Gabi ng Parangal was part of the CCP’s 55th anniversary celebration.
