Pinoy artist Rodel Tapaya reaches finals of intl art tilt

Young Pinoy visual artist Rodel Tapaya has advanced to the finals of the 2011 Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) said. Tapaya’s entry, "Baston ni Kabunian, Bilang Pero di Mabilang (Cane of Kabunian, numbered but cannot be counted)," was one of the 15 works chosen by a jury panel of art experts to compete for the SGD45,000 grand prize. This highlights the Philippines’ debut in the competition, where 130 artworks were submitted from 24 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific. The finalists’ artworks will be displayed at the SAM for the Finalists Exhibition in November for the final judging and public voting. Meanwhile, online voting at the SAM website will open on October 1.

Five winners, including the online voters’ favorite, will be named on November 17. Aside from the grand prize winner, the jurors will choose three other artworks that will receive SGD10, 000 each. The People’s Choice award winner—determined by online and exhibit viewer votes—will receive the same amount. Art auction favorite Tapaya, who holds a degree in fine arts from the University of the Philippines, is a favorite among Southeast Asian auction houses. Two of his works—"The Wedding" and "Donsadat And The Magic Dog"—were featured at Sotherby’s Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings auction in 2008, raking in HKD 220,000 and HKD90,000, respectively. A consistent favorite in various art contests, Tapaya’s entries topped the Nokia Art Awards Asia Pacific and the Shell National Students Art Competition. After winning the Nokia awards in 2001, the young artist went to pursue higher education at the Parsons School of Design in New York and the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. In 2010, Spot.ph named Tapaya one of the 10 most successful young visual artists in Manila. Finalists Aside from Tapaya, the 14 other artists from 13 countries who made the top 15 were:

Aida Makoto (Japan);

Bui Cong Khanh (Vietnam);

Chang Yoong Chia (Malaysia);

Chen Chieh-jen (Taiwan);

Sheba Chhachhi (India);

Ay Tjoe Christine (Indonesia);

Daniel Crooks (Australia / Oceania);

Kyungah Ham (South Korea);

Kim Jongku (South Korea);

Michael Lee (Singapore);

Imran Qureshi (Pakistan);

Vandy Rattana (Cambodia);

Greg Semu (New Zealand); and

Yang Xinguang (China). “The 15 finalist works draw equally on the artists’ personal experience and the historical trajectories of their societies. They reflect the artists’ sophisticated responses to contemporary issues facing their region in a highly interconnected global present," read the statement issued by the jury panel. This year's panel of judges is composed of:

Mori Art Museum director Fumio Nanjo;

Institute of Contemporary Arts London executive director Gregor Muir;

Southeast Asian writer, critic, and curator Hendro Wijanto;

South Asian poet, curator, and critic Ranjit Hoskote; and

SAM director Tan Boon Hui. Signature Art Prize Established in 2008 by APB and SAM, the Signature Art Prize is open to all visual artworks nominated by independent and established art experts in the region. In the contest’s news release, Tapaya’s entry was described as a 305 x 610 x 8 cm. acrylic painting that “employs imagery from Filipino folklore juxtaposed with elements of modern day Philippines, commenting on pre-colonial myths, stories and cultural heritage while also commenting on current issues such as environmental destruction." Ramon E.S. Lerma, director and chief curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery, nominated Tapaya in the competition. - VVP, GMA News