Melvin John Pollero's 'Ninuno': Grand Awardee for Oil/Acrylic on Canvas category

In  Pollero’s work, a giant skeleton rests on a landscape of greenery.

This represents the entirety of the minority groups: women, farmers, labourers; but with a focus on the natives and the indigenous peoples. The artwork describes the abuse of nature as represented through the trucks and the hordes of people on the grim and muddy lands on the sides. This industrialization causes an uprooting of the minority groups in their ancestral lands.

Ninuno is a battle cry for climate and social justice. In his work, the artist calls on the viewer to recognise the significance of minority groups in taking care of our natural resources. They are the guardians of the forest, mountains, and sanctuaries.

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Raymundo Y. Ador III's 'Dalawang Libo't Dalawang Pu at Hanggang Kailan?': Grand Awardee for Watermedia on Paper category

Ador's piece represents the agony of waiting. Created in 2022, the scene is an artist’s portrayal of a sombre afternoon in a time of pandemic.

Symbolisms pervade the whole work such as a tally on the wall representing the counting down of the days; the coronavirus that signifies the pandemic; and the open door that means openness. The artist describes the scene as anxiety brewing, born out of the current pandemic situation that progresses into uncertainty. This uncertainty brings depression masked in fear. He, as an artist, can only do so much, hence the waiting.

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Mateo D. Cacnio's 'Politika': Grand Awardee for Grand Awardee for the Sculpture Recognition Programme

In his work, Cacnio presents two figures that are seemingly wrestling and hugging in his work, Politika. The first figure bows his head down towards the opponent, almost getting caught in a headlock. Their knees are bent and their feet, huge.

In an interesting bid to talk about politics, the artist defines it as ‘people breaking each other mentally and physically for higher authority’. Through this relevant use of concept, the artist wants people to further explore human expression and how it all connects to Politika.

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Jun Orland E. Espinosa's 'Underneath': Special Citation for the Sculpture Recognition Programme

Jun Orland Espinosa’s sculpture, Underneath, portrays an uprooted tree taking centre stage in both material and concept. The haunting images of an exposed rib, an otherworldly creature, and a fluid-filled blister burgeoning out of the skin represent the artist’s subconscious feeling of burden and despair. The elements are arranged in a chaotic way with no real subject or direction in sight. These random and unfathomable images represent personal losses, sickness, and tragedies. The sculpture’s negative and positive spaces are abstract. However, one thing is certain: its base is founded on solidity. Underneath it all, the concept leans on the ‘roots’ itself.

Although the tree purports and takes its form in different ways; it is the root that keeps it grounded and offers a lifeline. Just like how roots are underneath the surface, he wants the viewer to dig deep and find their anchorage. As a servant of the church, it is Jun Orland’s faith that anchors him. In his own words, faith creates hope that restores life.

Two Grand Awardees for the Painting Recognition Program and one Grand Awardee for the Sculpture Recognition Program received a prize of PHP 500,000.00. One Special Citation awardee for the Sculpture Recognition Program received a prize of PHP 100,000.00, on the other hand.

The Final Board of Judges was chaired by prolific and well-known painter Alfred Esquillo, who is also a former MADE awardee and the founder of the Eskinita Art Gallery. Members of the Board included multi-awarded contemporary artist Elmer Borlongan; contemporary artist and co-founder of Orange Project, Charlie Co; sculptor and former committee member for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ National Committee on Visual Arts, Reg Yuson; interdisciplinary visual artist and art educator, Mervy Pueblo; interdisciplinary artist and educator, Marc Vincent Cosico; and cultural worker, independent curator and art educator, Lisa Ito.

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“It is good to witness an active art scene after it survived two years of the debilitating pandemic. This year’s set of aspiring young entrants proved that their sense of continuing spirit gives this art scene the guidance that it needs,” said Esquillo. “May all the entrants of this year’s search find hope and enlightened vision in every journey that they take,” he added.

Since 1984, MADE has evolved from being an art competition to becoming a venue where art is used as a tool to examine circumstances, encourage conversations, and challenge actions for national transformation. To date, 421 visual artists and design professionals have been recognized. A majority of them are now carving significant names in the local and even international art and design scenes. Past awardees include Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Jan Leeroy New, Esquillo, Andres Barrioquinto, Yeo Kaa, and Cedrick dela Paz.

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