THE SEVEN winning entries of the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) awards, which were revealed online on Sept. 18, will be taking the spotlight at the 2023 “MADE Exhibition: Kaugnayan”at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The exhibit will run from Sept. 22 to Oct. 6.
The Metrobank Foundation, Inc. chose the seven from 402 entries nationwide through its Painting and Sculpture Recognition Program.
The grand award for oil/acrylic on canvas went to Puro Kahig, Walang Matuka by Jowee Aguinaldo. Garnering special citations for oil/acrylic on canvas were Prima Custos by Dexter Cinco and Pagitan by Jonas Miguel Arlegui.
The grand awardee for watermedia on paper was Jerome Santos for his work ha(PAG PAG)kaing pinagkainan while Zarlien Delgado earned a citation for that same medium for his work Some Threads are Made of Flesh and Blood.
The grand award for sculpture went to Last Trip by Abril Dominic Valdemoro and a special citation for sculpture was given to Mundong Pinagisa ng Tubig by Michael Art de Leon.
Visit the event page for more details at bit.ly/2023MADEexhibition.
This year’s competition theme was “Connect: Stronger Ties, Bolder Strides.”
“In our 39 years of sustained service to the art community, it is our privilege to care for artworks that reflect the soul of our nation. As we approach our 40th year, we look back at tradition while braving the times. In the journey ahead, we will continue to champion not only excellence, but also the sustainable development of our artists and the nation’s artistic tapestry,” Aniceto M. Sobrepeña, president of the Metrobank Foundation Inc., which organizes MADE, was quoted as saying in a release.
The grand awardees for Painting will receive P350,000 in cash plus a scholarship worth P150,000 at the Linangan Art Residency, as part of the Foundation’s support for their artistic development. The three artists who received Special Citations will get P100,000 each. The grand awardee for Sculpture will receive P500,000 while the Special Citation recipient will get P100,000.
All seven awardees will receive the “More” Trophy created by 2007 Metrobank Foundation Prize for Achievement in Sculpture Juan Sajid.
The awardees also join the MADE-Network of Winners, the alumni organization of past winners that implements pay-it-forward projects in aid of marginalized sectors.
This year’s Final Board of Judges was chaired by artist, educator, and consultant Sandra Palomar and co-chaired by Qube Gallery founder Maris Holopainen. Members of the Board were visual artist and sculptor Kublai Millan, painter Golda King, visual artist Raffy Napay, sculptor Richard Buxani, and curator and educator Laya Boquiren-Gonzales.
The awardees will be formally recognized during the Awarding Ceremony & Exhibit Opening on Sept. 21 as part of Metrobank’s 61st anniversary celebration at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
In the same venue, a public exhibit tour and forum called “Art MADE Public” will also be held on Sept. 30 focusing on the topic “Fostering Thriving Art Communities” to provide artists with a platform for storytelling to highlight the ways art served as a force for good. The forum will feature Emerging Islands, a coastal-based organization and art residency based in La Union, focusing on art, community, and ecology. Visual artist and core community member Jao San Pedro will be presenting her journey through and within the practice of collaborative artmaking and caregiving through Emerging Islands and her own art practice.
