Filipino Sculptor Showcases Artwork at Leading Latin American Art Fair in Mexico City
Mr. Olbes (far right) and Amb. de Vega (second from right) with Mexican assistants at the Mexico City art exhibit
08 February 2018 MEXICO – Renowned Filipino sculptor Eduardo Olbes was among the 150 Mexican and foreign artists representing twenty (20) countries who were featured artists in the 15th edition of Zonamaco Diseño, a leading international contemporary art fair held in Mexico City on 7-11 February.
Mr. Eduardo Olbes, born in 1951 in Manila, is a contemporary sculptor. He moved to Mexico at the age of 24, after finishing his college education in the United States with a double major in sculpture and psychology.
Mr. Olbes’ pieces are the products of his reflections on modern values as well as the pride he takes in the Philippine folkloric traditions, and they bear the influence of his native Philippine upbringing and Latin influences.
A particularly noteworthy Olbes piece on display at the fair was his interpretation of the Filipino bulul, the carved wooden figures produced by the Ifugao peoples of northern Luzon, meant to guard rice crops. The sculptures are highly stylized representations of ancestors, and are thought to gain power from the presence of the ancestral spirit.
The Philippine Ambassador to Mexico, Eduardo Jose A. de Vega, was present during the inauguration of the event and commended Mr. Olbes for showcasing these Filipino-inspired pieces at such a prestigious event, thereby raising the profile of the country not just in Mexico but within the global art community as well. END
For more information, visit www.mexicope.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/MexicoPE.
Mr. Olbes explains his concept of an Ifugao bulul, shows one of his masterpieces and explains to Amb. De Vega how he conceptualizes his artwork.