Diwa Abueva, granddaughter of the late National Artist Napoleon Abueva, was used to seeing her grandfather’s masterpieces throughout her childhood.
From tactile crafts to unique sculptures, Diwa saw a lot of quirky and amusing work from her lolo.
“There are a lot of fun things that you don’t usually see in a normal, usual day, or in a typical house,” Diwa, 28, said
“He was very playful with his materials, and it showed through his works. I think that is how I remember him the most,” Diwa said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Diwa reminisced on moments with her iconic grandfather during the recent “Lost Conversations” event at the National Museum of Fine Arts.
There, cassette tapes of conversations with late renowned Filipino visual artists, including Abueva, were turned over to the National Museum of the Philippines.
It’s important to learn from these art legends, Diwa said, much like how she did from Abueva, who taught her to embrace her own artistic identity.
“I think we, as this generation’s artists, it is important for us to know more than just what my grandfather has done in terms of arts, but also what he believed in as an artist,” she said.
Known as a master of diverse classic pieces, Napoleon Abueva’s legacy ranks among some of the country’s most prominent artists, like Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, Ramon Orlina, and Guillermo Tolentino, who served as Abueva’s mentor in his early days at UP Diliman.
Tolentino, the sculptor of UP’s famous Oblation, put Abueva under his wings. But while Tolentino was known for his classical style, he encouraged Abueva to explore a more modern approach to sculpting.
Abueva eventually became dean of the UP College of Fine Arts, where he helped students craft their own artistic identity from 1976 to 1989.
In 1976, Abueva became the youngest recipient of the National Artist for Sculpture award at 46 years old.
But while Abueva’s art pieces are timeless, Diwa recognizes every artist’s individuality, just as her grandfather embraced his own artistic craft before becoming one of the country’s best.
“In terms of living his legacy, I think it’s important to think about if we, as artists, are trying to emulate what the past artists have done, or how we can react and build off what they have started. I think that’s two different things,” said Diwa, who is now an instructor at the UP College of Fine Arts.
“As much as possible, I try to work on my own. Just like how my grandfather deviated from his mentor Tolentino, I think that is what I want to live out as I teach students in UP,” she added.
Diwa had fond memories of Abueva’s craftsmanship as he often saw the peculiarities of his subjects.
That playfulness was reflected in some of Abueva’s most well-known works, such as the “UP Gateway” (1967), a waiting shed inside UP Diliman that was inspired by his love of paper airplanes, and the “Siyam na Diwata ng Sining” (1994), which shows nine muses from architecture, dance, film, literature, music, painting, photography, sculpture, and theater.
Diwa doesn’t expect to find the “next Abueva,” saying she believes that technology would help define what new artists would create.
“I’m very hopeful with this generation of artist,” Diwa said. “It is easier now to learn arts, and artists now have more exposure to what is happening around the world, so that would help artists with what works they would love to create.”
“I hope artists now understand that it is not about just how beautiful the painting or sculpture is, but more so about the meaning and value of the work they are doing,” she added.
Diwa hopes to see the continued evolution of Philippine art, just as it progressed from Guillermo Tolentino, to her grandfather Napoleon Abueva from decades ago.
“Philippine art should always be evolving, and should always be growing. I don’t think there is a need to stick to a certain style or method. It has to be always experimental, and should be grounded in life,” Diwa said.
“Life is art, one cannot separate it.” – Rappler.com