Students from Cebu City enjoying the unfinished artworks of Martino Abellana on display at the National Museum of Philippines-Cebu. (PIA7)
CEBU CITY, Cebu (PIA) — Cebu’s academic, arts, and cultural sectors, in partnership with the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Cebu are renewing the call for renowned Cebuano painter Martino Abellana to be recognized as a National Artist for Visual Arts.
In line with the celebration of the National Arts Month, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U), University of the Philippines (UP), and representatives of the Abellana family gathered at NMP Cebu to pledge their support for the renewed call for Abellana or “Noy Tinong,” known as the “Dean of Cebuano Painters,” to be a National Artist.
NMP Cebu Information Officer III Ma. Cecilia Cabañes said it is high time to once again push for Abellana to be a National Artist since his death in 1988.
“Dugay-dugay sab ta’g gihulat… padayon gihapon ta nakigbisog nga maduso gihapon siya isip National Artist aron nga naa na pud ta’y lain nga Sugbuanon nga morepresent nato sa tibuok nasud isip usa ka National Artist for Visual Arts,” Cabañes said.
(We have been waiting for a long time… we are still pushing to promote him as a National Artist so that we have another Sugbuanon who will represent us in the whole country as a National Artist for Visual Arts.)
Cabañes said the signing of pledge of support is the first step in the process before one can be conferred with the prestigious order of National Artists for Visual Arts.
The signing of the pledge of support was also witnessed by Dr. Resil Mojares, who was recognized as National Artist for Literature in 2018 and who remains the only Cebuano national artist to date.
Sense of pride for Cebuanos
NMP Cebu Information Officer III Ma. Cecilia Cabañes said that Abellana’s distinct style in his artworks give Cebuanos a sense of pride.
“Kung motan-aw ka sa iyahang landscape, nindot kaayo niya pagkakuha ang essence of time, ang movement sa mga tawo sa iyahang impressionists na mga artworks… so ikaw magtan-aw ka, mura sad ka’g dalhon ngadto sa Carcar,” Cabañes said.
(If you look at his landscape works, he captures the essence of time very well, the movement of people in his impressionist artworks… so it’s like being taken to Carcar City.)
To support the call for Abellana to be a National Artist, NMP Cebu is exhibiting
83 of his artworks which are mostly loaned from his family in Carcar City, Cebu and a few commissioned artworks that can freely be viewed by the public.
The exhibit includes several family and commissioned portraits, landscapes, and even his attempts on abstract painting.
One painting on display is his “Job Was Also Man,” which won first prize and the Best Conservative Painting award at the semiannual competition of the Art Association of the Philippines in 1953.
Even Abellana’s easels, paint brushes, and palette are available for viewing.
‘A generous teacher’
Abellana was born from an artistic family in Carcar, Cebu. His father, Teofilo Regis Abellana, and brothers, Ramon and Sindulfo, were sculptors who created public monuments in their town and in Cebu City.
He finished his formal art studies in Manila at the School of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1938 and went home to launch his first one-man exhibition in the same year.
Under the tutelage of national artist Fernando Amorsolo, Abellana briefly returned to Manila to have his apprenticeship.
Instead of staying in the capital to establish a lucrative artistic career, Abellana returned to Cebu and chose to dedicate his time teaching art to the next generation of Cebuano artists. He was one of the pioneering faculty of CIT-U where he taugh drafting and sketching under the architecture program.
Abellana eventually helped establish the fine arts program of UP Cebu. He also became a faculty member at the University of San Carlos (USC) and the University of Southern Philippines (USP).
Abellana has been instrumental in the foundation of many art groups and organizations and in the development of local art patronage.
Cabañes said it is fitting that Abellana is recognized as the ‘Dean of the Cebuano Painters.”
“He was a very generous teacher, motudlo gyud siya sa iyang craft because he wanted to pass it on to many generations. Because of that generosity, daghan gyud siya’g na-produce pud nga mga maayo na artist that we have today,” she said.
(He was a very generous teacher, he would really teach his craft because he wanted to pass it on to many generations. Because of that generosity, he produced many good artists that we have today.) (JJT/PIA 7)
