ILOILO CITY—The artist Marrz Capanang opens “Mga Kalibutan/Realms,” his sixth solo exhibition, today, July 19, at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art.

“Kalibutan,” a Visayan term meaning “world,” “universe,” or “realm of existence,” sets the tone for a collection rooted in mysticism, animism, and cosmology.

Known for weaving the Hiligaynon language with visual poetics, Capanang again blurs the lines between the spiritual and the material, the intimate and the universal. His new show continues his exploration of layered realities and fluid identities, reflecting his roles as artist, collective member, and deeply feeling human being.

“Mga Kalibutan/Realms,” which is steeped in indigenous thought and animist philosophy, comes four months after his acclaimed exhibition in Alabang, titled “Bioluminescence,” and promises a deeper dive into the metaphysical territories that shape his practice.

The artist with one of his works.

It extends a lineage of conceptually rich exhibitions, from “Pangut-angut” (2016) to “Tahud” (2022), building a consistent narrative centered on reverence, connectivity, and transformation. With it, Capanang further affirms his place in contemporary Filipino art, where language, spirit, and image converge.

Nationwide art sale

At SM City Iloilo, the nationwide art sale dubbed “Art for Everyone 2025” is ongoing until July 31.

It is part of the second edition of the “Art Market” in July-October 2024, which featured more than 1,200 Filipino artists and over 4,000 artworks, and won for SM Supermalls the Gold Stevie Award for Innovation in the use of events.

‘Art for Everyone 2025’ exhibition

That exhibit highlighted 13 of Iloilo’s most respected and acclaimed artists and was held at SM City’s Northpoint entrance. It displayed works of Jonathan Arro, Ed Defensor, Vic Fario, Kevin Fernandez, Joy Fernando, Joel Ferraris, Nelson Ferraris, Harry Mark Gonzales, Nick Lanes, Paolo Gabriel Nabor, Vic Nabor, Ariel Pineda, and Querbyn.

“Art for Everyone 2025” provides a platform for both established and emerging artists to present their work to a broader audience for appreciation, education, and patronage. Many of last year’s featured artists are returning with new pieces.

This year, 18 SM Malls nationwide will participate in the program, offering an immersive experience across a variety of artistic media—from paintings and photography to digital art, mixed media, and sculpture.

First published in CoverStory – July 19, 2025

“Halángdon” at the Fine Arts Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines-Iloilo showcases the profound and multifaceted legacy of National Artist Jerry Elizalde Navarro.

The exhibit demonstrates Navarro’s experimentation in and mastery of sculpture, painting, and a variety of printmaking methods. It embodies a fusion of his modernist sensibilities and evolving style, conveying themes of Asian and Filipino cultural identity.

Born on May 22, 1924, in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique, Jeremias “Jerry” Elizalde Navarro completed his primary and secondary education at San Jose Central School and Antique National High School, respectively. He was affectionately known among family and friends as “Nene” or “Mías.”

“Halángdon” at the Fine Arts Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines-Iloilo

A mural at the entrance hall of the museum—a reproduction on woven polyethylene of his 1982 oil-on-canvas painting, “Ang Bulawan nga Sadok” (The Golden Salakot), honors his hometown. The original piece is displayed in the lobby area of the Antique Provincial Capitol.

Navarro’s connection to his birthplace is also highlighted by a watercolor-on-paper masterpiece, “San Jose de Buenavista.” 

Navarro was a prominent figure in Philippine arts during the 1950s, recognized for his ability to shift from calligraphic and expressionist abstraction to constructivist assemblages and sculptures, owing to his discipline and modernist orientation. The 1960s were considered a blooming period for his modernist work. He passed away on June 10, 1999, and was proclaimed National Artist for Visual Arts on Dec. 1 of the same year.

Influences 

The National Artist, Jerry Elizalde Navarro —PHOTO FROM PINOYAUTOBIOGRAPHY.COM

Halángdon offers a visual survey of Navarro’s artistic journey and history, reflecting his education, influences, involvement in local and international art movements, and interactions with Filipino masters, many of whom became National Artists. 

He was a Ramon Roces art scholar at the University of the Philippines Manila, but he later transferred to the University of Santo Tomas (UST), where he completed his degree in fine arts in 1951. He was among the top students at UST and served as a columnist, later becoming the art editor, of The Varsitarian, its official student publication and considered one of the oldest student publications in the country. 

Navarro transferred to UST to meet his childhood idol, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, who later became a National Artist for Painting. He refined his skills under Francisco’s mentorship, studying alongside eminent artists of the time, including Victorio Edades, Diosdado Lorenzo, Alejandro Celis, Bonifacio Cristobal, and Francesco Monti. His brushstrokes, techniques, and color palettes clearly reflect the influence of these masters, yet his studies and innovative approaches led to breakthroughs, shaping a style uniquely his.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Navarro worked as an illustrator in the Roces publishing network, collaborating with other major figures in Philippine art history, such as Iloilo-born Romeo Tabuena and Vicente Manansala, also a National Artist for Painting. The modernist styles of both Tabuena and Manansala likely influenced his evolution into neorealism, as demonstrated through abstraction, cubism, and distorted figurative art and sculptures. 

A pivotal chapter in Navarro’s artistic development came with his travels to Indonesia, where he became a resident artist along with Cornelius Choy in Ubud, Bali, from 1987 to 1997. This decade-long sojourn led to a series of works that celebrate Balinese culture and landscape.

All these experiences with the greats of Philippine art significantly impacted his artistic life and work, leading him to reflect on subjects such as geopolitics, socioeconomic realities, and the struggles of daily life. He mirrored these themes between Bali and his home country, leaving a distinctive imprint of his artistic vision.

Comprehensive survey

“Musicians” (untitled)

The exhibition at the Fine Arts Gallery in Iloilo serves as a comprehensive survey of Navarro’s body of work, showcasing paintings, prints, and sculptures that span his artistic career. 

Among the featured prints are rare pieces, mostly untitled and undated, drawn from the personal portfolio of Navarro’s wife, Emma Navarro, as well as contributions from Pearl Navarro and Dora C. Afable—gifts to the National Fine Arts Collection of the National Museum. Selected pieces, such as “Inveterate Conversationalist,” “The Women I Knew,” “Meow Woman,” “Mechanical Installation,” “Caliraya Moon,” and “The Bali Woman,” reflect his deep memories of Ubud, Bali, and his engagement with the world around him. 

Navarro’s proficiency in and mastery of printmaking techniques—including woodcut, serigraphy, and steel plate—are evident in works such as “Musicians” (51/188, circa 1960s), “Igorot and Muslim,” and “Harana.” Copperplate or steel plate printing is considered one of the most challenging methods in printmaking, and his skill in it is undeniable. An engraving plate displayed in a glass case at the exhibition showcases his precision and technical prowess in intaglio printing. 

Mixed media on paper collection

In addition to his printmaking, Navarro’s early exposure to European modernist art is reflected in works like “Untitled 1” and “Untitled 2,” two mixed-media pieces on paper that feature his distinctive calligraphic style. The sharp, gestural brushstrokes and vibrant colors of these pieces reveal a Japanese influence stemming from his travels to Japan in the late 1950s. This influence is further made evident in his piece “Sunday at the Park” (acrylic on canvas, December 1994), which exemplifies modernist aesthetics through the bold use of color and form, creating dynamic compositions that evoke both emotion and movement. 

Navarro’s works also contain political commentary. In two collages on paper, “Don’t Mess With These Guys” and “Time To Orbit” (1969), he addresses sociopolitical issues, offering a stark critique of his time. Despite being created over five decades ago, these works remain relevant today, resonating with the current political and social climate, and showcasing the timelessness of his artistic vision. 

Constructivism

“Desaparecidos”

One of the defining aspects of Navarro’s career is his exploration of constructivism, an art movement that emerged in 1915. This exploration is vividly embodied in Desaparecidos (bronze, 1996), a three-dimensional piece that invites viewers to engage with themes of form, space, and political commentary. The artwork captures a dynamic interaction between structure and movement, as well as a delicate balance of fluidity and tension.

Beyond its formal elements, Desaparecidos conveys a poignant message addressing the issue of missing persons. This could be interpreted as a reflection on the disappearances of Filipino activists and youth leaders during the martial law era under Ferdinand Marcos Sr. or as a tribute to those who vanished without resolution in the aftermath of the Edsa People Power uprising a decade later. 

Assemblages with a constructivist orientation became a hallmark of Navarro’s work, where he highlighted geometric shapes using industrial materials—sometimes even repurposed waste materials like wood and metal—up until his death in 1999. 

His innovative creations across various mediums reflect his firm commitment to exploring the intersection of form, material, and meaning. His work transcends traditional boundaries, and his legacy ensures his place as a key figure in Philippine contemporary art, one whose influence continues to inspire generations of artists.

Read more: Rare paintings by Filipino masters on view in Iloilo City

First published in CoverStory – March 3, 2025

ILOILO CITY—Paintings by Filipino masters from the Lopez Museum and Library are on view at the Museum of Arts and Cultural Heritage of the University of the Philippines (UP) Visayas here, in time for the celebration of National Arts Month this February. 

The show, “The Patrimony of All: Ang Panublion sang Tanan,” features 16 rare masterpieces by Juan Luna, Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo and Juan Arellano. 

Art curator Patrick D. Flores describes the exhibition as a survey of works that offers a fascinating exploration of the evolution of Philippine art from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. It depicts what the artists “saw and felt around them” and “conversed with what was being imagined elsewhere in the world,” he said.

Four sections

Ensueños de Amor (Dreams of Love, undated) by Juan Luna

The exhibition hall is laid out in four thematic and conceptual areas. Each carries a subtitle to guide viewers through the narrative of the works, showing the artists’ background, their medium and style, and how all these elements relate to the social and political milieu, providing viewers a deeper appreciation of how the masters shaped the history of art in the country.

In “Dream and Daily Life” are masterpieces by Juan Luna: La Moza y El Lego (c. 1890), Fantasia (1890), and Street Flower Vendors (c. 1855)—images of Parisian women selling flowers on the day of the funeral of Victor Hugo, the French author of Les Misérables.

A standout work in the collection is Ensueños de Amor (Dreams of Love, undated), Luna’s portrait of his wife, Paz Pardo de Tavera, reclining on a bed. The work, imbued with personal significance and thought to have been painted during their honeymoon in Venice, evokes intimacy, contemplation, and emotional resonance between the artist and his muse.

The piece is intriguing considering the years of tension between Luna and his wife, which ended with the artist fatally shooting her and her mother. After his acquittal by a French court, Luna left for Spain with his son and moved around for a while before departing for the Philippines in 1894.

La Barca de Aqueronte (Boat to Hades, 1887)

“Myth and History” shows a collection of studies by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, including a 138-year-old painting, La Barca de Aqueronte (Boat to Hades, 1887), and works in the 1900s: El Asesinato de Gobernador Bustamante y su Hilo (The Assassination of Gov. Bustamante, c. 1900), Per Pacem et Libertatem (c. 1903), and La Derrida de Limahong (c. 1903).

“Kin in Place” features the works of Fernando Amorsolo, recognized as the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” and the first to become a National Artist. The collection takes the viewer to the 1930s–1950s period of Philippine art, with his idealized depiction of everyday rural life in the works Native Fruits (1937), Musical Duo (1937), Mag-Lolo(1943), Atardecer (1944), and Woman with Mangoes (1951). 

The paintings demonstrate Amorsolo’s academic and impressionist influences, and highlight his signature style of capturing the unique Philippine tropical sunlight, which would later inspire many Filipino artists.

Juan Arellano’s works in “In Light of Country” reflect influences of impressionism and Fauvism, with landscapes where human figures are intricately woven into the drama of nature, as noted by the late critic Alice Guillermo. His pieces, like The Philippine Scenes I and II (c. 1920) and Christ Down from the Cross (1960), showcase this style.

Arellano was arguably practicing modernism as early as 1913, well before Victorio Edades’ defining exhibition in 1928 that marked a pivotal moment for modern art in the Philippines.

As an architect and designer who played a key role in shaping Philippine architecture in the early 20th century, Arellano was instrumental in transitioning the architectural style from neoclassicism to art deco and orientalism. His designs include iconic structures such as the Manila Central Post Office, which was unfortunately gutted by fire in 2023; the Metropolitan Theater; and significant heritage buildings in Iloilo City, like the Jaro Municipal Hall and the UP Visayas Main Building, which is now the Museum of Arts and Cultural Heritage.

‘Genius knows no country’

“Myth and History” shows a collection of studies by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo

Adding a historical and cultural significance to the exhibition is the title which evokes the historic moment when Jose Rizal, alongside his fellow revolutionaries, honored Juan Luna and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo with a toast for winning the gold and silver medals at the 1884 National Exposition of Fine Arts in Madrid.

Rizal proclaimed: “Luna and Hidalgo are the pride of Spain as well as the Philippines—though born in the Philippines, they might have been born in Spain, for genius has no country; genius bursts forth everywhere; genius is like light and air, the patrimony of all: cosmopolitan as space, as life, and God.”

This statement reflects the national hero’s belief in the universal nature of genius, transcending borders and belonging to all, highlighting the power of art to represent both individual and collective identities.

Showcasing works by iconic artists thus underscores the intersection of local traditions with global artistic movements like academic realism and impressionism.

The exhibition does not merely portray the artists’ immediate surroundings; their works are presented with broader dialogues about colonialism, identity, and the vision of a future that merged local sentiment with international influences, reflecting the unique perspective of Filipinos and their aspirations for internationalization. 

This is manifested today in the Filipino diaspora.

Collaboration

“The Patrimony of All: Ang Panublion sang Tanan” was organized through an agreement among the Lopez Group Foundation, UP Visayas, and the Iloilo City government. It was conceived by former senator Franklin Drilon in 2019, with major funding support from Sen. Loren Legarda.

Since it opened last Nov. 24, the show has drawn more than a thousand viewers. It will run until April, but a second cycle is on the program that will stretch it toward December.

Read more: In Iloilo’s museums, you find pioneering photos and rock stars

First published in CoverStory – February 12, 2025