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Menchu Katigbak: The splendid life of a society swan
Hers is a story anyone would love to tell and retell, or hear and hear again. Chances are, as in the book of Menchu, so many things are left unsaid because if these were all said, a single book would not be enough. Carmencita “Menchu” Katigbak’s story is one of love, passion, hurts and disappointments, social triumphs and power in its subtle workings, but mostly the good life and the people who live it and make it happen. She is a woman of the world in the sense of one who has lived in, explored and enjoyed New York, Bangkok, Lausanne, Paris and, her current love, Singapore. Of course, her turf is in Manila with a Capital S and Capital P (as in Power), and Lipa the hometown of her roots. [caption id="attachment_180060" align="aligncenter" width="958"] MENCHU with best friend Susie and her daughter Marivic.[/caption] At a time when the term “socialite” can come cheap, trite or even undeserved, Menchu gives the appellation dignity, respect and the awe it once inspired. Her social credentials are, of course, impeccable. For starters, she attended the Chateau Mont-Choisi, a Swiss finishing school for debutantes and pre-debs belonging to royalty and the world’s upper crust. A socialite today, in loose modern parlance, is perceived as being frivolous, one who attends parties because these men and women are party animals, or party people, as one columnist has named her weekly jottings about the social events of the day. The enjoyment of life is what defines this breed and set, and yet, while Menchu, too, knows how to enjoy, and enjoy life with gusto, there is more to her and that differentiates her from the herd. No, she does not top her charmed life with an icing of well-publicized good deeds and philanthropic beneficence, even if she actually shares her bounty with those in need. Menchu is of a different mold. She is a society swan in the manner of Truman Capote’s chums — Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness, Lee Radziwill. In our part of the world, think Chona, think Minnie, think Chito. She may well be cast in the same crème de la creme mold, glamorous denizens of the inner circles of society, at the same time, ladies who have transcended the vagaries of time. Just recently, Menchu was referred to by a diplomat friend as a global influencer, a 21st-century appellation that only a few are accorded. This one is applied to one who was once a señorita, colegiala and, yes, society girl, again in the tradition of Chona, Baby, Nelly, Chito and Ising. ‘The Katigbaks talk only to the Kalaws’ They don’t need family names, each as important as the other and of the same significance in society. Still, it’s one thing to say that she is Baby Fores, and another if she is Baby Arenas. There were two Vickys, one of national import and memory being the lovely teenager who stood as her father’s First Lady in the early 1950s, and there was the Madrigal matron, Vicky nee Abad Santos, who was low-key and the daughter of the World War II patriot, Jose Abad Santos, who refused to pledge allegiance to the flag of the enemies. Menchu shares first name distinction with Menchu delas Alas Concepcion, also of Batangueña parentage, being the daughter of banker and finance guy and public servant Don Antonio de las Alas. Both aristocrats from Batangas, the two Menchus share many distinctions beauty for one, pedigree, for the other—but that’s as far as I would say, the aforementioned traits being obvious. But to drive his point, Joe Guevarra, the humorous and well-placed columnist known for his tongue-in-cheek pronouncements, once said of the olden times, when the genealogical boundaries were well-defined, “In Lipa, the Katigbaks talk only to the Kalaws, and the Kalaws talk only to the Katigbaks.” [caption id="attachment_180057" align="aligncenter" width="998"] DINNER in Pili with Fernando and Zobel, Tessie Sy-Coson, Guilly Luchangco, Federico ‘Piki’ Lopez | photograph courtesy of MENCHU KATIGBAK[/caption] This self-confessed social climber, as his 8-to-5-and-beyond job would require him to be, admits to not having met (okay, having been introduced to…) the ebullient society hostess, traveler, culinary maven and friend-to-the-powerful Menchu Katigbak. Everything that I am writing here, I learned from the lady’s biography, Menchu, authored by lifestyle journalism icon Thelma Sioson San Juan, the two being decades-old friends. Menchu, one finds out toward the end of the book, is the inspiration for her granddaughter Isabelle’s first tome, Abu, the Sad Princess. I look back on the pages I have read, the memories of Menchu’s lifetime so far, in all its seven glorious and electrifying decades, and I dare say, the description is most apt and is true as well in real life as Menchu today is “living happily ever after” having come to terms with the many issues that confronted her at various times, but more importantly, she is today a fulfilled mother and grandmother and a believer in Jesus Christ. But that is getting ahead of the story. ‘White Matter’ by Lao Lianben Jaime Ponce de Leon, dear Jaime, the man of the hour of Philippine arts for as long as Juan Luna’s missing masterpiece, remains ensconced at the Ayala Museum – gaining for the discoverer more than a foothold in our cultural history – asked me if I was interested in writing about the socially formidable Menchu Katigbak, and I readily said yes, having seen her photographs in the select and more discriminating society pages and columns. I thought to myself it would be an opportunity to meet the lady face to face and add her to my glossary of so-called newfound friends, but that was not meant to be. I was, oh, I was treated to the next best thing – a copy of Menchu which, to someone who aspires to be a bibliophile, is all that matters in the world, except that I am first a social climber. And since I have not been allowed an audience, I take solace in the book and, as my honeyed revenge, will tell you what I feel about the lady who, I understand, could be frank and outspoken. Abrasive is too strong a word, and unfair for I am not sure if I will ever meet her in my lifetime, but I am told the lady will never mince words, that’s probably why she has legions of true friends who probably can give as much as take, or so I am imagining. [caption id="attachment_180055" align="aligncenter" width="1475"] Lunch in the kitchen in Pili with Patty Araneta (left) and Monet Recio-Schem.[/caption] A painting that Menchu has kept all these years, “White Matter” by Lao Lianben, signed and dated 1997, has been featured as one of the rare pieces to be auctioned in Leon Gallery’s forthcoming magnificent September auction, with the starting bid of P2,600,000. So, there, if you’re wondering what Jaime, who moves around the best circles, has got to do with this enigmatic swan. ‘We are not rich’ But let’s stick to what the book says. While she intersperses in her narrative personal encounters with her subject, TSJ, for the most part, devotes the pages of this book to Menchu alone, and with our cosmopolitan lady, the many friends in the upper echelons whose lives she has touched and who have touched hers in turn. Menchu, once she was ready to be told, heard it straight from her mother, “Tandaan mo, baka akala mo mayaman tayo. Hindi tayo mayaman. Kung napadala ka namin sa Switzerland at si Tita at si Tony napadala naming sa America, kasi nagpawis ako ng dugo (Remember, you may think we are rich, we are not rich. If we sent you to Switzerland and Tita and Tony to America, it was because I sweated blood). If you think you’re going to inherit something from us, banish the thought. So if you don’t study well, bahala ka sa sarili mo (you’re on your own).” The perfect words for the Asuncionista (Assumptionista) who much preferred to bake food for the gods, brownies and upside-down cakes and do naughty things like hiding the bell used to signal the start and end of class periods. Her mother, the former Charing Roxas Dimayuga, who attended Assumption Convent, dealt in buying, developing and selling homes in the gated Makati villages. She also developed horizontal and vertical commercial spaces as well as imported retazos from abroad. [caption id="attachment_180056" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Wearing the Van Cleef earrings purchased before their public launch.[/caption] Her father, Enrique Luz Katigbak, on the other hand, was a top certified public accountant, an alumnus of the Northwestern University and a director on the boards of Monte de Piedad and Philtrust banks. Of his connections, none is more eminent than his friendship with His Eminence, Rufino Cardinal Santos, archbishop of Manila and the first Filipino Cardinal of the Catholic Church. It was not a happenstance that Menchu received the sacrament of confirmation from the Cardinal himself right in the Katigbak home, the first ever that was held in a private home if any other followed at all. Like most children, Menchu recalls in the book how she detested being “slapped” by the pious prelate. If she was any pleased about her family’s closeness to the holy man, it was that the Assumption sisters did not expel her for her not-too-infrequent infractions because they went to her father if they needed something from the Cardinal. Dona Aurora Recto for a ‘guardian’ Hers was a lonely childhood since her older siblings were away. They were the triple seven, which alluded to their being born seven years apart, with Menchu as the youngest. On certain days, her parents, both busy, would deposit her in the home of the statesman Claro M. Recto where she would play with his favorite granddaughter, Techie, who had all these toys, Menchu could not help realizing her parents did not buy her a toy. She played with her jackstones while Techie had a closetful of toys, including a toy “cash register.” Techie was so generous she was giving this fancy plaything to her, but Menchu refused knowing her mother would not approve. What she remembers best of that time was the sight of Dona Aurora, the first beautiful woman she beheld in her young mind and eyes, and from her, she learned her first lessons in etiquette, because the family ate with a full complement of silverware and flatware. (To be continued) The post Menchu Katigbak: The splendid life of a society swan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist
The promising artist that Katya is today is the latest phase in a lifelong journey that began at an early age when she began drawing characters from cartoon comics. All the while she was growing up in a home that nurtured her interest in the arts, as much as it prepared her for rigorous academic training. She read early in life, in a house filled with books. In this second part of our interview, Katya shares with us how she made a number of choices that would lead to where she is today. But once upon a time, for all that had been given to her on a silver platter, she was in a quandary as to what to do with her life. But when she finally decided on what she wanted, there was no stopping the talented and smart girl who, it turned out, possessed an intellectual prowess not unlike those of her parents, the lawyer, and senator Edgardo Angara, whose affinity for the land had been impressed on his daughter, and the lady educator Gloria Manalang Angara, who opened up her daughter’s eyes and minds to the wonders of world literature and the other arts. And it was in art that the young girl did not only find solace but also healing. Here is the final part of our interview: DT: After high school, did you immediately leave for London? KA: To be honest, and I don’t want filters here, I had mental health issues at that time. I was severely depressed. Before I went to London, I went through a tumultuous period of deciding where to go with my education. So, after Poveda, I went to Woldingham (boarding school). then I did half of my BA Psychology degree at UP Diliman from late 2000 to 2002. I loved my time at Diliman but it was a tumultuous transitional period for me, so I decided to revisit pursuing university in London. Central Saint Martins, to be precise, is one of the most prestigious and distinguished art and design schools in the world DT: Around what time was this? KA: It was in 2002. I was bouncing around like I couldn’t anchor myself to one thing. Like, okay, I’m here in London already. And then, okay I’m going to study Psychology in UP. So, what’s with the leap, the sudden jump, the sudden shift? I couldn’t make up my mind. And I think that frustrated my parents for the longest time. I was also being hard on myself because I ended up causing a lot of frustration for myself. And I think that depressed me. So, you know, I’ve been diagnosed with different things. I’m bipolar. And then, I had the hallmarks of ADHD. Let’s just say that my brain works differently DT: Well, one can never be sure about oneself. KA: No, you can never be sure about yourself. And I was questioning myself. For the longest time, all those years I thought, what’s wrong with me? Why am I making all these strange decisions? Why am I behaving this way? Why do I react to people this way?”. You know, parang I shouldn’t be talking or reacting to people like this in this kind of situation. And I’m not just saying with family or what. But with my classmates in school. What drew me to art was it being a place that has its own language e. It’s a place where I can express myself. Art is also a way of healing your own wounds. It’s also a way of revealing those aspects of yourself that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It really was a way of healing for me. And I didn’t even know that I needed it. Because again, I was a very quiet and introverted kid. I don’t know why. I couldn’t rely on people, talk to people the way I thought, or maybe people thought I should. So, you know, I kept to myself. I’d hide away in the library every recess or lunch. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. So, that carried on until my university years. Daily Tribune (DT): What did you finally take up in college? Katya Angara: Well, first I just wanted to do a purely art course. So, my foundation course to get me a degree was an Art and Design course. My first choice for this was Central Saint Martins, which continues to be ranked as one of the best art and design schools in the world. I was over the moon when I made it in. DT: What did you have to show to qualify? KA: I needed to show my work. I had some already since I was drawing a lot in my childhood and teenage years. DT: Your works are not the usual ones that use oil, watercolor, acrylic, and all that. KA: I was drawing mostly. And for some reason, I have always been more of a draftsman eh. I’m always more into drawing. I have more illustrating tendencies. DT: Like pen and paper? KA: Yes, pen and paper. Pencil, charcoal. I’ve always had a thing for dry media and pen and ink. It’s more about the control and the precision. That’s my personality. DT: That’s not easy ah. KA: It’s not easy. But you have an affinity for it. And your hands have to be steady. Which is unlikely for someone with pasmado hands like me. But that’s where I find my control eh. That’s why I like it so much. DT: So, what was it like when you showed your drawings at Central Saint Martin? KA: So, I showed my drawings because that was required during the interview. And so I went through the ropes. They asked questions like, "why do you want to do this course here?" DT: Your work must have been good to get you accepted. KA: They were fine. I think it was good enough. But there was a lot I had to improve on. I only knew that once I got into the school. Then, you told yourself, Ah, oo nga pala. There was so much I had to learn. That I could be taught. DT: How was your learning experience? KA: From the beginning, as a child, I always copied from cartoons. And they didn’t like that. They didn’t want to see any cartoons or anything like that. They wanted to see me. They wanted to see my work. My drawing from life. DT: So, how did you do that? It must have been challenging KA: So, I gave them the best of my life drawings. But when I showed them my other works, they weren’t happy with them. So, I learned from that. Being young, you got a bit crushed. But then, you realize it’s a different way of thinking. It’s a different way of doing things. Okay, there’s still so much to learn in terms of art. And it’s not the be-all and end of it all. And then, they said, “This is where you should be learning from.” And they showed me art books. They said, “Go to this gallery or this museum.” DT: How was it like living abroad? Back home, you were the daughter of a senator. KA: Which means nothing when you’re abroad. It meant nothing. Which I actually loved. It was something that I was looking for. Because I lived in a bubble back home. To my parents’ credit naman there’s a reason for that. I was very protected. They wanted to keep me safe and secure given my father’s position. So, I’d always lived in a bubble. I’d always have bodyguards and drivers and all that. And it just felt at times a little restrictive. DT: So, it was a welcome thing? KA: It was a welcome thing. Really, I felt different. I felt normal na parang my family name didn’t mean a thing. And that was refreshing. I could be anything I wanted to be. I could experiment and nobody would judge. Because in schools like that and abroad, especially in Europe, they’re so open-minded. They’re so liberal. DT: How were the teachers? KA: Oh, wonderful. Of course, you always have your favorites, right? Very varied. Depending also on what course you were taking up, whether industrial design or sculpture which I was horrible at when I tried it. I didn’t really get close to my tutors until I moved on to my actual degree. Funny enough, instead of ending up in a practical course. Which would have been like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration because I love drawing. You would think that I would end up in a more practical course like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration, I did a complete shift and I did a theoretical course. I did Curation, Art Criticism, and Art History. So, my training is as a curator and an art critic. DT: Wow, that was very intellectual. It’s good that you always read a lot. KA: Yes, I think that helped because you have to read a lot. You have to love reading. You have to like doing the research. And that served me well. Who would have known, right? But if you think about it, as long as you follow what you want to do in life, it just opens up even if you don’t intentionally seek it. Somehow it just finds you It just fell into place for me in that sense. This is not what I initially set out to do. But I think you have to allow yourself to change your mind. Parang whatever happens at the time, you change with it. You adjust to it. And it worked out beautifully for me. DT: So, were the teachers terrors? KA: Mabait naman sila. But they have very different personalities. My course leader was a lovely older lady who was really into Victorian arts and culture. As in, Victoriana lahat. She would tell you everything about English Victorian history. And she was very passionate about it. And you know, it involved a lot of writing and research. But my favorite tutor was someone who was writing about comic books. Comic books and Pop culture. So, for me, that was a revelation because I didn’t think you could take comics books and put them in the academe. You know, academic level like intellectual. Pwede pala e. Because he showed me a way. He took me under his wing and he showed me his work and from there I learned to write. And because I love comic books. I’m actually a huge geek. I’m a nerd, I’m a dork. DT: What was your thesis? [caption id="attachment_165427" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Roger Sabin was Katya's pop culture mentor at Central Saint Martins in London.[/caption] KA: Because I wanted Roger Sabin, my pop culture tutor, as my professor for my thesis, it was about a 1990s Japanese animated film called Ghost in the Shell 101. It was an animated film based on a very heavy graphic novel, a manga or Japanese comics, by Masamune Shirow. And for me, his work is revelatory. It wasn’t just the style of the Ghost in the Shell. And to think just one man could draw like this. I mean it was a very thick graphic novel. He could draw like that. And he wrote the story too. And to think you had the mental stamina to be able to write something like that and to draw. DT: You must enjoy doing comics. KA: Since I was a kid, I’ve made my own comic books. You know, I would sell my own comic books and people would actually buy them. I taught myself to draw in the comic book style. I learned them all. You know, there’s like Stan Lee of Marvel. DT: You really had it in you. KA: I had it in me. My love for comic books started by reading the ones my brother had collected over the years. He had a stash of them, so, I just devoured them. It was all very amazing to me. Kasi the drawings, the stories, these are worlds written by someone else. So, you have Marvel comics, DC comics, Dark Horse comics. [caption id="attachment_165417" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With brother, Senator Sonny Angara, whose comic books she devoured for their cartoon figures.[/caption] Q: You didn’t idolize anybody? A: Well, I wasn’t particularly huge on the American comics. I think it was until I stumbled upon the Japanese comics or manga. That really piqued my interest to a degree I never felt before. Kasi it wasn’t just the style, which at first for me was very girly. I mean, I love the romantic comics. But I also felt myself leaning toward the darker stuff. DT: What did you like about Ghost in the Shell? KA: It’s a cyberpunk graphic novel. So, ang galing, ang ganda ng style. It was like, wow. You know, the sheer amount of detail that he puts into the drawings. I said I want to draw like this. I want to tell a story like this. But I don’t know if I was capable of telling if I had the stamina to tell something so intricate and complex. DT: When did you graduate? KA: In 2008. The BA in the UK is only three years. That’s why you take a foundation course. There’s a BA in Curation, and Communication, and criticism in Arts and Design. DT: I am told that you graduated at the top of your class. But you’re not telling me. KA: It sounds so funny kasi eh. Anyway, I graduated with first-class honors for my degree. So, basically, I was Suma Cum Laude in my batch in my year. So, that was what sealed the deal for me and my dad. Kasi for the longest time, I was kind of meandering. I was kind of flip-flopping. My mom knows this eh She goes, “You know Katya you have a tendency to be whimsical.” I am an artist eh, what can I do? Besides, I was young and I wasn’t sure. I knew what I wanted to do, which was to be in the arts but not where I wanted to go. I was asking myself if I had the stamina, the commitment, the fortitude to see it through. [caption id="attachment_165415" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Katya and mom Gloria Angara, who first ignited her interest in the arts.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_165419" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Katya with her dad, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara from whom she learned to apply the principles of nature to her art[/caption] DT: College made you really bloom. KA: Yes. It was the environment. it was the people I was with. Because I was able to go into something I really enjoyed. I wasn’t just doing homework because I was told to do homework. I loved what I was doing. I was invested in it. DT: What did you do after you graduated? KA: Apart from community work, I also worked for some small galleries. I did some work for the Victoria and Albert Museum. I tried to have experiences in bigger institutions, bigger museums, and small independent galleries. I thought that experience would hone me and make me well-rounded. With the smaller galleries, I was able to practice my curatorial background. I was able to help a lot of young artists. They don’t know how to talk about their work or they’re not confident enough to do so. So anyhow, apart from helping them put together shows, I help them speak about their work. Or offer them a perspective they have never seen or thought about. And I feel that that was helping them and I think that’s where I have been able to engage with them. It was fulfilling to help them find their voice as an artist. DT: All the while, you were all alone in London? KA: I was married actually. To a Filipino who was born in the UK, in London. He’s an Englishman, for all purposes. It didn’t work out. We have a daughter. I had a beautiful little girl with him. She lives in London with her father. She’s been here. She lived here in her early years. After she was born in 2010, I decided to move back here. Then, after four years, we went back to London because it was what my husband wanted. He and my dad had a falling out. DT: When was your first exhibit? KA: Last year. Earlier, I did a group show at the Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins. So, I did it with other emerging artists. My next group show was at The Crucible. But it was for a book that Sari Ortiga had commissioned me to do. He wanted to do a series of children’s books about Philippine artists. I did mine. Mine was about Anita Magsaysay-Ho. I did the illustration. It wasn’t new to me because I had been making my own books. I would staple them myself. Although up until that point I didn’t know how to really do it professionally. I found out it could be lucrative and fulfilling. This was in 2008 when I didn’t have a daughter yet. DT: Tell me about your forthcoming show. (The current show had yet to be opened). What paintings are you showing? KA: They’re not paintings, they’re not just drawings. They’re an amalgamation. They’re what you call a compendium of everything I’ve ever done as an artist. The book illustration, and then I dabbled a bit in black-and-white photography. I like the look of black and white photography. So, I do it with my phone or a simple camera. It’s also good for taking reference photos for my work. Because if you can’t sit in the park drawing people or objects, or subjects, the next best thing is you take pictures. And you can draw from those pictures. Kaya maganda siya for reference. So, my work is that, actually. DT: So, what about your subjects? KA: Well, I’m a very central person. We live in a very conservative culture. And I have subjects that would make people say ay, you know, you shouldn’t talk about that. So, there’s no filter, it’s very raw, very natural. In London, I was able to talk to people about things like BDSM or Bondage Sado-Masochism. And you know, that can get a bad rap. Because if you do it wrong, it would look strange to anyone who is not familiar with it. Among the Japanese, there is a subculture that does that. DT: Do they consider BDSM an art form? KA: There’s a particular Japanese artist whose work I used to admire. He’s a photographer. And his subject is BDSM. There were pictures of women tied up and then there were flowers and reptiles. So it was very sexual. I found myself drawn to that because there’s the element of the dark side. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, talked about how we have to make our unconscious conscious. The darkness in us is unconscious. And if you don’t make your darkness conscious, it’s going to come out in other ways at some point. Meaning to say, you shouldn’t repress those sides of you. I think it is a side that’s intertwined with the creative side of me. I can’t be an artist without being sensual. Without that aspect, all that would be macabre. Which brings me to my mom again. She used to chide me for reading Stephen King when I was a kid. I’m a huge Stephen King fan. She was like, “It’s so macabre, so dark.” And I’m like, “I like it, I like his work.” He’s such a skilled writer. And I like how he could take something so mundane and make it terrifying and frightening on all levels. Stephen King said that he writes two thousand words every morning. I’m not sure if I can do that. I wanted to write na rin eh because the natural partner of my art is my writing. Because as a curator, I didn’t just read. I had to write a lot. And that’s where I honed my skills. Kasi siyempre, it’s a sword that you have to sharpen every now and then. So, for the show. I did a lot of writing. I did my own writing. DT: While we're on the talk of artists, what about the Filipino artists? Who among them do you admire? Do you have any mentors and idols? KA: Among Philippine artists, Junyee is my second father and my first artistic mentor. He is my OG sage and shaman of Philippine art, the Father of Philippine Installation Art. I'm actively lobbying for him to become National Artist soon, as no one deserves it more than he does, with his magnificent oeuvre. I'll always remember how, in a fleeing moment of impostor syndrome, he consoled me by saying that making art for myself always comes first. Love the process and the rest follows. The maverick attitude is very Junyee! And yet, he lives a modest life in the forest-like setting of his home in Los Banos, echoing the nature-loving ethos of our favorite Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki, creator of Toroto, Nausicaa, Spirited Away, among many other magical films. Since I was a child, Junyee saw my potential and continued to push me to have my own gallery shows, as did his longtime friend and one of my other mentors, Sari Ortiga. Sari's daughter Yasmin is a good friend and batchmate of mine from Poveda. Sari owns and runs the distinguished Crucible Gallery, and he hired me to illustrate one of the children's books for his series "Growing up with Philippine art" in 2009. It's thanks to Sari that I pushed myself to evolve as an artist, to grow outside of my comfort zone. The acclaimed visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso is something of a bad boy du jour of the Philippine art scene, and his dissident attitude is something I can identify with. I love the unorthodox, the sensual, the macabre, the dark stuff that delves deep into the psyche. I'm so bored of the "covers" or "riffs" of the countless Amorsolo, Basquiat, Picasso, or Rothko-type artworks that I see so much of in the local art scene. As wtih Junyee and Sari, Jinggoy has taught me how to navigate the perilous seas of art and life, echoing Junyee's advice to remain myself, in a world that often pushes us to be someone else. My three mentors, by example, taught me how to be original. DT: How many are you exhibiting? How many works? KA: Now, I have 9 complete pieces. I’d like to add another one. Honestly, medyo cramming ito because I only had two months to do the show. Normally for this kind of work - especially with the big piece I am doing - it’s a seven-foot piece. I would need, preferably to be comfortable, at least four to six months to do all this work. Kasi, there is so much nicer when you give it time to compost. To come together, to become fertile. DT: Is there enough time for one more work? A: Yes. I have one more work that I want. Because I feel that it rounds it up eh. If I do ten, I love the work that I’ve already done. Again, it’s not a painting, it’s a collage. So, I’d call it a photographic collage with paper cuttings on canvas. I wanted to treat canvas in a way that is not painting DT: Shouldn’t someone curate for you? KA: For now, I’m happy to have to do it myself. Because I feel that I’m the only one who can portray myself in a way that I feel I should be portrayed. Kasi it’s art eh. You’re trying not so much to explain yourself as you’re trying to convey who you are to somebody without being obvious. That’s art. DT: Where does Stephen, your partner, come in? [caption id="attachment_165418" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With her partner and anchor, Stephen Lu.[/caption] KA: Stephen is somewhat of an anchor for me. So, I feel comfortable, I feel more confident when he’s around. But I guess I’m okay. DT: Now, as we wind up, let’s talk about how you are like your parents and not like them. You said that your interest in the arts came from the exposure that you received from your mother, and of course, the presence of books at home. Tell me more about your father’s role in your becoming the person that you are. KA: One of my fondest memories of my father was his love of nature, gardening, and farming, which I learned from him. He was at his best and calmest when he was at his farm in Nasugbu and Baler. Whilst my father was a “man of the soil”, I learned to be an “artist of the soil”, a gardener who applies the principles of nature to my art. Hence the overlying themes of nature in my oeuvre of artwork. And the most resonant themes of philosophy (which my father also studied and applied in his life) are the themes relating to lessons learned from nature: patience, fortitude, temperance. From this I’ve become more acutely aware of life’s transience, making our time all the more precious, being grateful for small and simple pleasures, and the opportunities that come my way. The naïveté of my younger years meant that I didn’t have a complete grasp of the opportunities presented to me by my father, I took much for granted. Now I see why he did what he did, he gave me the tools to be able to achieve my full potential. Only now that I’m embracing that fire and heading in a direction that makes the most of my talents. I had impostor syndrome for the longest time. Always questioning and doubting myself. Now I can fully embrace who I am and it is cathartic. DT: In what way are you like them? KA: I have the different strengths of my parents. I’ve inherited their academic minds and cultured tastes, with an eye for detail and beauty. I have many mannerisms and behavious in common with my mum, in terms of poise and self-possession. But, she is like Audrey Hepburn and I am infinitely more of a Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was also a very private person and something of a poet and writer. I guess it’s no surprise that I am drawn to art and writing; I am highly introspective, painfully self-aware and attuned to my moods and to the moods of others; like my Dad, I’m intuitive and know how to read people. DT: My last question is, how has art influenced you in your direction in life? And where are you going from here? KA: Being an introvert, I don’t always translate into easy social interactions with most people. So I channel it all into my art. It’s a language that best expresses my psyche, thoughts, and emotions. Working with my hands is healing and consolation for the isolation, depression, and anxiety attacks that grip me on bad days. That’s why as an artist of the soil, gardening and art go hand in hand. In the future, I can see myself tending to the land and becoming a farmer as my father was. It’s like coming home. The post Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Klimt’s last portrait sets European record in £74 mn auction
The last portrait painted by Gustav Klimt was sold in London on Tuesday for £74 million ($94.3 million), setting a new European art auction record. The celebrated Austrian symbolist "Dame mit Facher" (Lady with a Fan) went under the hammer at Sotheby's. The previous auction record for an artwork sold in Europe was for Alberto Giacometti's "Walking Man I", which went for £65 million in February 2010. Described as a "beautiful, rich and alluring portrait of an unnamed woman", the portrait was found on his easel in his studio when he died unexpectedly in February 1918 aged 55. Helena Newman, from Sotheby's, said earlier it was painted during Klimt's artistic prime when he was producing some of his most famous and experimental works. "Many of those works, certainly the portraits for which he is best known, were commissions," said Newman, who is in charge of Sotheby's Europe and global head of Impressionist and Modern Art. "This, though, is something completely different -- a technical tour de force, full of boundary-pushing experimentation, as well as a heartfelt ode to absolute beauty." Other earlier record breakers include Claude Monet's "Le bassin aux nympheas" which went for £40.9 million at Christie's in London in June 2008. Last March, Rene Magritte's "L'empire des lumieres" sold for £59.4 million at Sotheby's. Klimt portraits rarely come onto the open market. Sotheby's said the only other of the same standard -- "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II" (1912) -- sold for $87.9 million at Christie's in New York in 2006. Two portraits are reported to have been sold privately for more than $100 million each. "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II", which depicts the wife of a Jewish sugar industrialist, was one of them and went for $150 million in 2017. The other, "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I", sold for $135 million in 2006 to the Neue Galerie in New York. Although the hammer price for Tuesday's Klmit sale was £74 million, the unnamed buyer will pay £85.3 million when the buyer's premium -- the standard fee charged by auction houses -- is factored in. The post Klimt’s last portrait sets European record in £74 mn auction appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Miss Conception
Just a few days ago, our country’s pageant mill minted a new “beauty queen” in the person of one Angelica Lopez of Palawan as Binibining Pilipinas International. And a few weeks before that, a certain Yllana Marie Aduana was crowned Miss Earth Philippines 2023. Like others before them who had won the Miss Universe Philippines, Miss World Philippines and, of course, the local Miss Earth competitions, they will compete, and hope to win in the international equivalents of their competition as representatives of our country. Our country takes pride in winning a total of fifteen crowns in the so-called “Big Four” of international beauty pageants: Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth. There are, to be sure, “lesser” contests: Miss Supranational, Miss Grand International, Miss Intercontinental, the list goes on and on. And our women have won in many of them. Truly, we are one pageant-crazy nation, as witnessed by how life seems to be put on hold whenever one of the major ones air in the country. Beauty contests have also been considered traditional springboards to fame and fortune. We have many A-list actresses who started out as beauty queens. Two of the most prominent of these would be Gloria Diaz — “Ang Pinakamagandang Hayop sa Balat ng Lupa” — and Pilar Pilapil. Others like Pia Wurtzbach and Kylie Versoza also tried their luck, but their showbiz careers did not gain as much traction as the first two parts because, in the case of Ms. Wurtzbach, she was a bad actress. While it seems that beauty pageants are here to stay, many (this author included) have serious doubts about their continued utility in this day and age of changing societal roles. One main criticism against traditional pageants is that they promote a measure of “beauty” that is too high: One must be tall, slender, with perfect body proportions, and a style of comporting oneself on stage that takes years to master. Thus, this gives rise to a culture of sorts that makes ordinary mortals try to achieve the same level of pulchritude, only to fall short, as the vast majority of women are not as endowed as the standard pageant candidate. This state of affairs, many say, leads to a distorted sense of worth that strongly implies that one is less of a woman when one does not fit into the mold of a beauty queen. Another critique is that pageants objectify women, in the sense that they are treated as mere “things” that must comply with certain specifications; hence, they must look good in an evening gown and swimwear, know how to sing and dance for the obligatory production, and be able to answer asinine questions that are hardly a source of edification. The way by which they are paraded before a live and remote audience like cattle, some would add, is essentially demeaning to the contestants, making them look like “pieces of meat,” like in a cattle auction. Now, don’t get me wrong; I love looking at lovely women. In fact, my Twitter profile states, in part, that I am “a lover of beauty” and my personal motto is that “women are the foundation of society, so men must lay the foundation.” Nonetheless, I am a progressive, and I personally think that pageants, on the whole, serve no other purpose in this day and age but to enrich their organizers, promote products and personalities (especially couturiers), and provide she is the sum total of all her wit and wisdom, her learning and experience, her personality and charisma. Happy hunting grounds for dirty old men (don’t look at me, I bathe three times a day). Levity aside, if doing away with these pageants is too extreme a measure, we should at least stop sending the message that a woman’s worth is limited to how tall of stature, curvaceous of figure and lovely of face she is. Indeed, a woman is more than that: To say or think otherwise would be a serious misconception. The post Miss Conception appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AI, blockchain players enter Phl cyberspace
Asian players in the blockchain and artificial intelligence industry are sharing their expertise from their particular fields in transforming the Philippines into a digital technology-integrated nation. Companies such as Xtreme Business Enterprise and Marvion & Coinllectibles have joined forces with Philippine-based Smart Citi Teknologi in launching three integrated projects dubbed the “Philippine Stable Coin Project”, the “Blockchain-enabled Membership Program for Sustainable Tourism”, and “Investing in a Promising Future: Philippines Art and Heritage” — all set to roll out this July 2023. During a media launch at the Manila Hotel last Tuesday, Julian So, the chief executive officer of XBE Group, said the “Philippine Stable Coin Project” is considered to be a game-changing initiative aimed at revolutionizing the financial sector in the Philippines. Measure to alleviate poverty “It was initiated as a measure to alleviate poverty and improve financial inclusion in the country. The project aims to provide a stable and reliable medium of exchange to the unbanked and the underbanked population, who often have limited access to financial services,” So said. According to So, the key feature and benefit of the Philippine Stable Coin is that it is decentralized, which means that transactions can be carried out directly without intermediaries, increasing transparency and ensuring security. “Also, the Philippine Stable Coin is fast and efficient, as the use of blockchain technology ensures fast and efficient transaction processing, facilitating instant settlement and enabling low-cost remittances. It is also stable and reliable as the coin is pegged 1:1 to the Philippine peso, making it stable and minimizing the risks of volatility that are commonly associated with traditional cryptocurrencies, and borderless, as the Philippine Stable Coin can be used across the world, eliminating the need for currency conversions, and enabling seamless cross-border transactions,” So explained. Smart Island Meanwhile, the “Blockchain-enabled Membership Program for Sustainable Tourism” project aims to develop a Smart Island in Roxas, Palawan which is envisioned to be a world-class, high-tech and business and leisure destination. “Through the use of blockchain, we aim to create a sustainable and forward-thinking development that will bring economic and social benefits to the region,” said Joshua Chu, chief regulations officer of Marvion & Coinllectibles. He said the membership program focuses on promoting eco-friendly practices, including using biodegradable products and reducing energy consumption, as the island’s natural beauty and sustainability practices make it the perfect location for a luxury membership program. Auction House For his part, Mario Marcos, the founder and chief executive officer of Smart City Teknologi, said the third project — ”Investing in a Promising Future: Philippines Art and Heritage” — seeks investment and interest in a prestigious European Auction House, a gateway in promoting and exporting the beauty of the Philippines arts, heritage and culture to the world. “The auction house will set out to create the world’s first blockchain, AI and Environmental, Social and Governance-powered auction house that meets the needs of modern buyers and sellers. In addition, the adoption of ESG principles in the auction process will promote environmentally friendly and sustainable transactions that positively contribute to preserving the future of the assets being auctioned,” Marcos said. The post AI, blockchain players enter Phl cyberspace appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Leren proud kay Ricci: From your Nanay, Tita and Ate all in one
SUPER proud ang beauty queen-politician na si Leren Mae Bautista sa panibagong achievement na nakamit ng kanyang dyowang si Ricci Rivero. Nitong Martes, March 26, ibinandera ng Laguna councilor ang kanilang larawan pati na rin ang video ni Ricci habang naglalaro ito sa kanyang kauna-unahang PBA All-Star Game bilang rookie. Sa kabila ng sobrang pagka-proud.....»»
Holy Week 2024: Tabor Hill in Talamban, experience the authentic essence of Via Crucis
CEBU CITY, Philippines – This Holy Week, the Via Crucis, also known as the Stations of the Cross, is one of the most practiced form of devotion among Catholics, particularly in the Philippines. The Via Crucis commemorates the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It typically involves a series of 14 stations.....»»
Ex-beauty queen sawang-sawa na sa pambababae ng asawang negosyante
NAUMAY at nagsawa na raw ang dating beauty queen sa papalit-palit na dyowa ng kanyang asawang negosyante at kilala sa showbiz. Ito ang dahilan kaya hindi na niya ito sinasamahan sa mga pinupuntahang gatherings na dapat ay kasama siya. Nu’ng kainitan pa ng relasyon nila bilang mag-asawa ay hindi nawawala sa tabi ng asawang negosyante.....»»
EcoWaste Coalition: True Radiance Comes from Within, Not from Skin Lightening Products with Mercury
23 March 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition, which has been tracking mercury in skin-lightening cosmetics in the Philippines since 2011, reiterated its support for the global effort to put an end to the persistent production, trade, and consumption of racist beauty products with mercury content that claim to whiten the skin and deal with other.....»»
Al-Shifa Hospital raid one of the single largest operations in the war: Israeli military sources
Israeli military sources have hailed the weeklong raid on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza as one of the most successful operations in the ongoing conflict with.....»»
SamPan: Making her mark
Samantha Panlilio, eldest daughter of Jose Marcel “Jocel” Panlilio, is embarking on an ambitious career path to revitalize and expand the family’s real estate investments as chief operations officer of both the family’s publicly listed Boulevard Holdings Inc. and Puerto Azul Land Inc., even as she sets a parallel course to build her own beauty line, photography studio, and a furniture business under the brand “House of Marrakesh.”.....»»
Tough love: La Salle captain Coronel takes De Jesus criticism in stride amid steady rise
Often the target of helpful criticism by legendary La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus, Lady Spikers captain setter Julia Coronel bravely absorbs his lessons as she leads their title defense.....»»
EcoWaste Coalition: True Radiance Comes from Within, Not from Skin Lightening Products with Mercury
23 March 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition, which has been tracking mercury in skin-lightening cosmetics in the Philippines since 2011, reiterated its support for the global effort to put an end to the persistent production, trade, and consumption of racist beauty products with mercury content that claim to whiten the skin and deal with other.....»»
Barred Coral Snake seen in Cebu: Beauty and death rolled into one
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A barred coral snake, locally known as “udto-udto” is a slender snake of short length, typically found in gardens or nearby agricultural lands in the Philippines. While they are common in the Philippines, they are rarely spotted due to their small size and their ability to hide effectively. Barred coral snakes.....»»
Maine nag-react sa ‘blind item’ na tungkol sa host na suplada, mataray
BILANG tugon sa ilang netizens na nanghula at binanggit siya, nag-react si Maine Mendoza sa isang blind item na tungkol sa isang female TV host na na-ban umano sa isang beauty clinic dahil sa katarayan. Ang blind item ay ibinandera ng TikTok user na @basicpinay at as of this writing ay umaani na ito ng.....»»
Celebrities, over 135 ‘most requested, trending’ beauty products at Watsons PH’s first Beauty Con
TV host KaladKaren was among the many celebrities who graced and shared insights at the program of the ongoing Watsons Beauty Con in SMX Convention Center, Pasay City......»»
World Poetry Day: Here are some notable Cebuano poets
Today, the world celebrates the beauty of poetry as we acknowledge the mighty power of the pen and commemorate the people who notably held it. As we recall Western literary geniuses like William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe, what better way to celebrate this annual holiday as a Cebuano than to recognize some writers of.....»»
Herlene Budol reacts to pageant luto, Miss Universe fake inclusivity issues
Kapuso actress and beauty queen Herlene Budol believed that beauty pageants are really fair to every contestant. .....»»
AS Watson supports gender equity with commitment to empowerment principles by UN Women
This International Women's Day, AS Watson proudly announces that it’s the first health and beauty retailer to be a signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles......»»
Beauty essentials for a cool summer
Laura Mercier, who recently went viral on TikTok for her Real Flawless Face foundations and brushes, also has color cosmetics so high-quality they deserve to go viral......»»