Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo welcomed Filipino artist Ronson Culibrina at the chancery following the artist’s recent residency at Liverpool Hope University. Photo by Stacy Garcia
14 March 2019 LONDON—Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo received Filipino visual artist Ronson Culibrina during a courtesy call at the chancery on 14 March following the 2018 Ateneo Art Awards winner’s brief residency at Liverpool Hope University. Culibrina exhibited his works and delivered a lecture at the university through a grant from Ateneo Art Gallery’s residency partners.
“Over the years, Filipino visual artists have made indelible marks in international art circles,” said Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo. “Mr. Culibrina’s residency at one of the most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom shows that the works of Filipino artists continue to occupy an important place in contemporary art.”
According to the Ambassador, the Embassy is keen on supporting Filipino visual artists and promoting their works in the UK’s artistic circles. In the past years, the Embassy has hosted several exhibitions at the chancery featuring the works of both emerging and established Filipino artists.
About the Artist
The 28-year-old artist is one of three winners in last year’s Ateneo Art Awards. Apart from Culibrina, Johanna Helmuth and KoloWn also won the much-coveted Fernando Zobel Prize for Visual Arts.
Culibrina is known for works that attempt to merge pop culture elements in iconic classical paintings. His first series of works tackled socio-political issues anchored on the allegorical style of old Filipino masters. Among the prevailing themes of his work are cultural exchange, globalization, the Filipino diaspora, and the collision between art and the economy. His works are highly coveted by art collectors in Asia.
Culibrina is a graduate from the Technological University of the Philippines in Manila and has won various awards such as the Grand Prize of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) Painting Competition in 2009 and the Special Citation from the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE). His works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries across Southeast Asia and Europe. END
Students from Liverpool Hope University join Ronson Culibrina (2nd from left) during the latter’s exhibit at Liverpool. Photo courtesy of Ronson Culibrina
Ronson Culibrina joins his audience after a talk about his work at Liverpool Hope University. Photo courtesy of Ronson Culibrina