PH Embassy in Ottawa Opens Buwan ng Wika With “Alamat” Exhibit

(Clockwise from top left) Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia talks about the exhibit with Global Affairs Canada Assistant Deputy Minister Paul Thoppil; guests views the details of each piece; members of Filipino Heritage Montreal together with Ambassador Garcia; guest views the paintings; and children’s book illustrator Frances Alcaraz delivers her message to the audience. (Ottawa PE photo)

OTTAWA 29 August 2019 – The Philippine Embassy in Ottawa launched its celebration of Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) with “Alamat – An Art Exhibit of Philippine Mythical Creatures” by renowned children’s book illustrator Frances Alcaraz.

The week-long exhibit opened on 1 August 2019 to an audience of approximately 150 at the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal Ottawa.

The curiosity of the guests was piqued with Ms. Alcaraz’s intricate interpretations of 10 well-known characters from Philippine mythology. Using pen, ink, and acrylic on boards, the artist portrayed modern versions of timeless creatures from Filipino folk stories, including the kapre, tikbalang, mananggal, diwata, and nuno sa punso. Each piece was accompanied by a story of the character’s background and its role in society.

Ms. Alcaraz was unable to join the reception but sent a video message thanking the guests for visiting the exhibit.

“We all know the stories,” she acknowledged. “Every Filipino child will tell you about their fears through these stories, about their dreams and mythical creatures and magic that we all grew up with. So I hope when you go through the exhibit you will learn more about our culture and more about my country.”

Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia welcomed the guests and thanked Ms. Alcaraz for sharing her art. She noted that the mythical creatures in the exhibit have stayed in the Filipino consciousness for hundreds of years and form an integral part of its culture. She reminded the audience of the stories of their childhood and invited them to revisit how the early Filipinos perceived the world around them.

The guests, some of whom came all the way from Montreal and Toronto to attend the reception, admired the vibrant colors and intricate patterns of Ms. Alcaraz’s works and expressed appreciation for the subject matter she tackled. For guests of Filipino descent, it was an opportunity to go back to their childhood and the stories from their elders while Canadian guests enjoyed seeing another aspect of the Philippines’ rich culture. END

For more information, visit https://www.ottawape.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassy.ca or https://www.facebook.com/PHinCanada/.