Filipino Student Awarded at 20th International High School Arts Festival
“BahagHabi”, acrylic on canvas by Luce Melegrito exhibited at the National Art Center, Tokyo. (Tokyo PE photo)
TOKYO 28 August 2019 — A Certificate of Merit was awarded by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture to Philippine High School for the Arts student Luce Melegrito for being selected as the representative artist of the Philippines during the ceremony of the 20th International High School Arts Festival at The Ritz-Carlton on 07 August 2019.
Ms. Melegrino’s acrylic painting, entitled “BahagHabi”, depicts the weaving tradition of her indigenous culture, symbolic of the cultural tapestry of the Filipino nation. Four other works by Filipino students were selected to be featured in the festival.
These artworks, along with over 500 works of art, were exhibited at the National Art Center in Tokyo from 07-18 August 2019.
In her speech, Ms. Medrano shared how she was inspired by her family whose history was enriched by loomweaving. Through her work, she advocates unity in diversity, true to the title of her work, “BahagHabi”, which is a play on the Filipino words, bahaghari (rainbow) and habi (weave).
Ms. Medrano was one of the 19 foreign students from 19 countries honored during the ceremonies. She is a Grade 10 student at the Philippine High School for the Arts located in Los Baños, Laguna.
The 20th International High School Festival received a total of 11,243 entries from within Japan, and a total of 93 entries from around the world. END
Philippine Embassy in Tokyo Second Secretary and Consul Jan Kenneth Bolante (left) and Ms.Melegrito at the National Art Center in Tokyo. (Tokyo PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.tokyo.philembassy.net or https://www.tokyope.dfa.gov.ph, or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinJapan/.