Philippine Art Adds Vibrant Colors to Chongqing's Culture Scene

The Philippine Consulate General in Chongqing, in partnership with the Chongqing International Culture Exchange Center and VA Galleries, launched on 03 November 2022 the Philippine Culture and Arts Month with the first-ever Philippine Contemporary Art Group Exhibition at the heart of Jiefangbei Central Business District, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, China.

The month-long exhibit features the paintings of eleven (11) Filipino artists based in China, Canada and the Philippines.   At the ceremonies opening the Exhibition, Philippine Consul General Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo explained the rich cultural diversity underpinning Philippine contemporary art.  Inspired by the Chinese saying 海内存知己，天涯若比 (“If you have a friend from afar who knows your heart, distance can't keep you two apart”), she invited the people of Chongqing to get “to get to know the Filipino heart” from the art works expressing the featured artists’ truths and re-imagination of their multi-faceted world. 

The exhibit curator, Mr. Vincent Deng of VA Galleries, introduced the artists by way of their personal backgrounds.  He applauded the vibrant contemporary art movement in the Philippines and encouraged the public to experience the colorful Filipino culture through varied artistic expressions.

Director General Yang Guangshun of the Chongqing International Culture Exchange, as event co-organizer, underscored the transcendental nature of art.  He recalled previous cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General, including performances by the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, as a demonstration of the close friendship between the China and the Philippines. 

Yuzhong District Deputy Party Secretary Zhang Yuanhong, for his part, called upon the residents of the Yuzhong District to “experience the Philippines’ artistic charm” through the Exhibition. Adding to the accolades for Philippine art, Deputy Director General Li Mingquan of the Chongqing Foreign Affairs Office noted the high regard internationally for Philippine culture and arts.  He appreciated the efforts to mount the exhibition so that Chongqing artists and citizens could once again have “face-to-face contact with cultural and artistic masterpieces” that will further enhance friendly China-Philippines exchanges.

Also among the distinguished guests gracing the event were Deputy Director General Qin Dingbo of the Chongqing Culture and Tourism Development Commission, members of the consular corps in Chongqing, media representatives, art enthusiasts, and other friends of the Philippines. 

Consistent with the event theme, Philippine Consul General Mayo and honored guests proceeded to ring in the Philippine Contemporary Art Exhibition with handcrafted T’boli bells, a tribal symbol of gathering friends and family.

During the guided tour of the exhibition, which included displays of publications on Philippine art, the guests also enjoyed an assortment of canapes that captured the essence of afritada, sinigang, pakbet and adobo as well as cocktails made with Philippine rum. 

On display at the VA Galleries are the works of Jensen Moreno, Erick Dator, Marvic B. Gile, Fernando Regencia, Nelson Medina, Romel Reyes, Christiane Mayo, Ann Tuano, Mark Anthony Navida, Aprilfleur S. Galima-Mejia, and Ronna Zhang.

The Philippine Contemporary Art Group Exhibition is open to the public from 03 to 26 November 2022 at the VA Galleries, Old China-UK Liaison Office, Wusi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing.  A parallel exhibition, dubbed "Warm Chongqing, Colorful Philippines: Philippine Arts and Traditional Handicrafts Exhibition," is scheduled for 11 to 30 November 2022 at the VA Art Space, 3F World Financial Center, also in Yuzhong.