Art collectors, patrons, and friends gathered for the Goldenberg Mansion’s inaugural art series. This concept seeks to highlight the best of the country’s arts and culture sector through a curated perspective, coinciding with this year’s celebration of Arts Month.
Art Series One began by starting things off with renowned Filipino artist Ronald Ventura and the debut of Astig-Mata (Strong-Eyed). This new collection highlights the strength and beauty of a nation through a meditation on what it means to be truly Filipino. The exhibition featured sculptures, paintings, and prints that expanded on Ventura’s lauded works. In 2011, he received global recognition for setting the record at Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Auction House in Hong Kong for his painting Grayground, which sold for $1.1 million.
The First Lady of the Philippines, Liza Marcos, and Senator Mark Villar, alongside his wife, Undersecretary Em Aglipay Villar, opened the exhibition for the first time to the tune of the bamboo orchestra troupe Musikawayan. 
For the latest series, the artist chose to expand on his previous work, Finding Home, first seen in 2016 at the Museum of Contemporary Art ( MOCA) Taipei with Astig-Mata; it became a storied confluence of female beauty, strength, and Filipino nationalism. “I wanted to demonstrate my thoughts on what it is like to be a citizen of a rich archipelagic country that is innately proud of its long-standing history, one that stretches back through the centuries,” Ventura said. 
The series further delves into the Philippines’ reputation as a nation that overcomes adversities with pride, skill, and utmost resilience. One of the most iconic symbols often associated with the people of this proud country is the bahay-kubo ( a stilt house made out of nipa that is indigenous to The Philippines), which always represents the age-old adage of what Filipinos are known for throughout the world.
L- R: Senator Mark Villar, Ronald Ventura, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Undersecretary Em Aglipay- Villar
Ventura strategically incorporates bamboo figures prominently in his latest exhibition as a way of depicting the attributes of Filipino strength and adaptability through hardships. At the same time, he was able to juxtapose the elegance and timeless beauty of Filipina women through the decades. But of course, this wasn’t without bits of well-devised social commentary found amongst each piece —- one of them is of a stunning woman wearing a Filipiniana ( the national costume worn by women) with a camisa top that has intricate rosy sleeves while surrounded by palm fronds and farm animals nestled against the jungle as a backdrop which is a nod to the luscious countryside that exists beyond the reach of the metropolis of Manila. 
Aside from that, dashes of multicultural motifs are prevalent throughout Ventura’s work, from his penchant for Japanese pop culture and the fusion of East-meets-West elements found in his prints to one of the country’s most significant historical periods in WWII, the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines. Ultimately, it duly portrayed the Filipinos’ never-ending search for their identity amidst technology, economics, and social issues. 
In this exhibition, Ventura sought to take viewers on an introspective journey about how Filipinos view themselves through a cool and impeccable gaze done up in the name of good taste; in doing so, he was able to highlight how Filipinos perceive their all-important heritage, compatriots, and history to succeed in the present and the future.
For more on Ronald Ventura: www.artnet.com
