Philippine Artists Debut in ‘Unang Handog’ Exhibit in SFO

New York – A group of award-winning Filipino artists will have its debut exhibit on June 22, 2018 at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.

Calling themselves “Viajeros,” the inauguration show titled “Unang Handog” will feature the works of 16 artists headed by founders Emil Bauto de Leon and Xander Calceta.

Artist Emil Bauto, co-founder of Viajeros,was once finalist of the Art Renewal International Painting Competition in New York City.

The Viajeros aims to bring original Filipino art to the world and is composed of Maria Pureza Escano, Jun Impas, Jun Aquino, Jessie Marinas, Coco Torre, Raul Roco, Jr., Ronald Cortez, Orlando Distor, Jane Arrieta Ebarle, Neil Resuma Folloso, Ernesto Verroya, Oying Madrilejos, Danny Doce, and Ina Jardiolin.

Muralist par excellence Pureza Escano; 2017 Grand prize winner at the Berlin Excellence International Art Prize for her Aubade: A Farewell to a Loved one, dedicated to her parents.

Artist Jun Impas from Cebu was an awardee of Excellence in the 2008 China Asean Youth Artwork competition and 1st prize winner of the Fernando Amorsolo painting competition, mentor category.

Unang Handog (literally first offering) was inspired from the old tradition of offering the first harvest or “first fruits” to a deity as an expression of thanksgiving and allegiance.

Since Unang Handog is Viajeros’ inaugural exhibition, this show is the group’s first offering to God and the community. As the custom of “first fruits” prescribes, each artist chose to offer the artworks which best represent their individual craft. Consequently, Unang Handog becomes not only an exploration of the Viajeros artists’ prima opus, each artwork in itself being a piece de resistance, but also, interestingly, a revelation of each artist’s personal perception of himself and his artistic ability in his choice of the finest of his aesthetics.

Unang Handog will run from June 22 until July 6, 2018. It will be followed by a show in December 2018 in Solaire-Manila and, in 2019, in New York and Toronto in Canada. (Featured photo is artist Ronald Cortez at the Philippine Center in New York, first prize winner of the Hudson Artists of New Jersey 52nd Annual Juried Exhibition; Press release from Viajeros)