In its first design-focused exhibit for 2012, Origins & Translations: Philippine Textile Patterns & Motifs, the Yuchengco Museum looks at tradition as a source of inspiration for contemporary designers and artists.
In the ethnic tradition of textiles, a reconnection to a people’s heritage, ways of life, and belief systems is found through the motifs and patterns on the surface of cloth, apparel, and accessories. Textiles are integral to the personal, economic, sociopolitical, and religious lives of the indigenous groups that weave them.
With the creative mind, the possibilities from traditional textiles are endless. Origins & Translations puts together examples of indigenous textiles and clothing and a selection of inspired contemporary creations, retranslations, and reinterpretations by leading designers and visual artists. Whether inspired by patterns, the possibilities of material constructions, or the material itself, designers and artists today continue to celebrate, explore, and make Filipino culture relevant.
The exhibit mirrors original indigenous textiles and clothing from the collections of Floy Quintos and Al Valenciano. Among the contemporary translations and inspired works featured are paintings by National Artists for Visual Arts Abdulmari Asia Imao, Arturo Luz, and Hernando R. Ocampo; paintings by visual artists Ivi Avellana-Cosio, Roberto Feleo, Ricarte Purugganan, and John Frank Sabado; creations by couturiers Pepito Albert and Inno Sotto; fashion and accessories by fashion designers Amina Aranaz-Alunan, JC Buendia, Randy Ortiz, and Lulu Tan-Gan; sketches by stage and costume designer Gino Gonzales; a loveseat by furniture designer Ito Kish; and pieces from the designer collections of Silk Cocoon by Jeannie Goulbourn and Filip + Inna by Lenora Cabili.
Also on exhibit are the winning pieces of the winners and semifinalists of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines’ Weaving the Future Philippine Fashion Design Competition.
Origins & Translations is part of the Yuchengco Museum’s new direction in positioning its exhibits, events, and programs to support culture as a main pillar for national development. All exhibits for the year are inspired by the creative industries, highlighting design. The museum has also begun a series of Saturday lectures by cultural experts on diverse topics; and has partnered with writers groups such as the Freelance Writers’ Guild of the Philippines to offer workshops that give journalists skills training, as well as a deeper understanding of local culture. This 2012, the museum hopes to bring tradition and heritage to the forefront of what needs to be preserved in Filipino culture and to be intertwined with modern-day life.
Origins & Translations: Philippine Textile Patterns & Motifs runs until April 24. The museum is located at RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala and Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenues in Makati. Museum hours are from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (632) 889-1234 or visit www.yuchengcomuseum.org.
