Ayala Museum to showcase Shell art program winning pieces

The modern Filipino art collection of the Ayala Museum will soon showcase paintings and sculptures that are part of the 50-year legacy of one of the country's prestigious art competitions.

On Monday, more than 200 winning art works of the Shell National Students Art Competition were donated to the Ayala Foundation Inc.

An agreement was signed between Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. represented by CEO and President Cesar Romero and Ayala Foundation Inc. represented by Ruel Maranan, the Foundation president.

Present during the signing were Ayala Corporation President and COO Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Foundation Inc. Senior Director Mariles Gustilo, and Ayala Museum Senior Curator and Head of Conservation Kenneth Esguerra.

"We are proud of the 50-year legacy of the Shell National Student Art Competition. Through the years, around 38,000 young Filipinos have joined this art contest, and out of these, four National Artists have emerged," said Cesar Romero, president and CEO of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.

These artists are Jose Joya, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Ang Kiukok, and BenCab. "Some Shell winners also belong to the list of "Top 10 Most Successful Young Artists" in the Philippines and have made a name in the international scene, like Ronald Ventura, Rodel Tapaya, and Leeroy New, he added.

Esguerra said thousands of art pieces are submitted every year to the Shell art competition.

From the initial selection, there are about 100 water color paintings, acyrlic paintings, sculptures, among others.

The winning art pieces that are presently on display at the museum include "Bandilang 'Di Tumutumba", 2012 first place winner sculpture category by Melvin G. Anglaser of UST; "Masasayang mga Luha", 2006 third place winner oil/acrylic painting category by Jaypee S. Samson of UP Diliman; and "Past time... nagkukulitan", 2000 third place winner sculpture category by Rexell S. Livelo of PWU.

Esguerra said all the paintings will not be on display all at the same time. "We will curate shows out of the 200 paintings," Esguerra told GMA News Online. — LA, GMA News