PH Embassy Stages Art Exhibit on Filipino – Saudi Culture
Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh Adnan V. Alonto (center) and spouse Madame Jo Alonto (right) with one of the participating artists Ms. Leslie Ann Fiestan (left). (Riyadh PE photo)
RIYADH, 03 December 2021 – The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh organized an art exhibit called “Kulay Pinay” at the Cultural Palace, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh on 26 November 2021,. The exhibit was held in collaboration with the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, the Riyadh Ambassadors’ Chorale, and eight promising Filipina artists in Riyadh. Members of the diplomatic corps, the Saudi art community, and social media influencers attended the event.
The featured Riyadh-based Filipina artists include Leslie Ann Fiestan, Chelsea Perez-Ambray, Danielle Baldono, Vianca Cabigting, Erika Cadiz, Christine Dimaculangan, Iris Yvonne Felongco, and Stefi Anne Laron.
In less than two years since the Kingdom allowed foreigners to participate in local art exhibits, these pioneering Pinays have already joined in various local and international shows, garnering attention from both local and global news outlets, and winning awards.
A total of forty-eight paintings were showcased. As part of their repertoire, the artists depicted Filipino culture and heritage; they also conveyed their appreciation for Saudi culture and tradition through their art work. A couple of the artists also conducted live painting demonstrations during the event.
In his opening remarks, Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Adnan V. Alonto emphasized the purpose of cultural diplomacy, to entice public interest in Filipino art and culture, while strengthening ties between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.
The Embassy’s art exhibition was one of the major cultural events held in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is part of a series of cultural diplomacy activities initiated by the Embassy to present Filipino workers as artists and provide them suitable platforms to share their art and voice to uplift the image of the Philippines and Filipinos in the Kingdom. END
From Left to Right starting on the first row: H.E. Ambassador Tin Yu of Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; H.E. Ambassador Vu Viet Dung of Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam; H.E. Ambassador Adnan Alonto of the Philippine Embassy, Madame Jo Alonto, Spouse of Ambassador Alonto; H.E. Ambassador Wong Chow Ming of Embassy of the Republic of the Singapore; Representative Sheng-Ping Teng of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office; Mr. Björn Sola, Head of Administration & Consular Affairs of the Embassy of Sweden; H.E. Ambassador Mamadou Mamodou SALL of Embassy of the Republic of Senegal; H.E. Ambassador Lulzim Mjeku of Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo; CDA Mr. Sathana Kashemsanta Na Ayudhya of the Royal Thai Embassy; H.E. Ambassador Joon-yong Park of Embassy of the Republic of Korea; Mr. Burak Balkanlioglu, Commercial Counsellor of Embassy of the Republic of Turkey; H.E. Ambassador Fatih Ulusoy of Embassy of the Republic of Turkey; CDA Mr. Arief Hidayat of Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia; CDA Mr. Diaa Hammad of Embassy of Egypt; H.E. Ambassador Dr. Andre' Schaller of Embassy of Switzerland; Consul General Rommel Romato of the Philippine Embassy, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Jeanne April Marie Bruneau of the Philippine Embassy and the participating artists. (Riyadh PE photo)
Ambassador Adnan Alonto with the Riyadh Ambassador’s Chorale(Riyadh PE photo)
Ms. Christine Dimaculangan (left photo) & Ms. Danielle Baldono (right photo) conduct live painting demonstration. (Riyadh PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.riyadhpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinKSA or https://twitter.com/PHLinKSA.