2 August 2013 - Lao Vice Minister of Education and Sports Sengduane Lachanthaboun and Philippine Ambassador to Laos Maria Lumen B. Isleta officially opened the two-man art exhibit entitled, "Philippines-Laos Perspectives: Motives and Movements," featuring young and emergent visual artists from the Philippines and Laos on July 26, at the M Gallery in Vientiane.
The project was undertaken by the Philippine Embassy in Vientiane, in cooperation with the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), under the year-long program of activities of the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal.
The exhibit featured the works of Filipino artist John Paul Antido and Lao artist Sivilay Souvannasing. Paintings of both emerging artists depict the lives and movements of Filipinos and Lao people as they go about in search of livelihood, daily sustenance and other motivations.
Mr. Antido takes on movement in the chaos of urban and cosmopolitan life where the Filipino as commuter; viajero or travelling merchant or passenger is depicted playfully using impasto technique, textured with layers of pain, thick brushstrokes and vividly colored hues.
Mr. Sivilay chose Hmong people as his subject, depicting them in motion (walking, dancing and marching) using bright and strong colors. His paintings with bold and confident brushstrokes bring out the beauty in the daily lives of the Hmong people.
The opening of the exhibit was attended by officials of the Lao Government, members of the diplomatic community, including officials of international and regional organizations based in Laos, members of the Lao business sector and Filipino community members.
The guests were treated with San Miguel beer and Philippine snacks. Catalogues of the art works prepared by the Embassy and Filipino consultants were also distributed to guests.
The show was organized with the support of M Gallery owner Michael Chan, as well as Filipino professional consultants Dr. Bernadette Gonzales and Mr. Joel Wayne Ganibe of International Technology Management (INTEM), experts in the field of education, currently assigned to the Secondary Education Sector Development Project (SESDP) of the Ministry of Education and Sports and whose other advocacies revolve around promoting education through the arts.
The first exhibit by a Filipino artist in Laos and also the first two-man Philippine-Lao joint exhibit attracted the attention of the Lao media which gave extensive coverage to the event with feature stories on both the widely-circulated Vientiane Times and KPL news.
Art enthusiasts and exhibit guests expressed the hope for more shows in the future especially as these create a greater awareness of each country’s culture and its people. END