Cover Aviado’s Graven Images (Photo: Altro Mondo)
Aviado’s Graven Images (Photo: Altro Mondo)
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What goes on in the mind of one of the country’s leading visual artists and printmakers?
It was during the pandemic-induced lockdown did anyone take a step back and re-evaluated their life decisions. With everyone confined in one space, it was hard not to think so. Virgilio “Pandy” Aviado was one of them. The time spent alone allowed him to ponder on his estate of artworks, reviewing his past works to define his present and future artistic preoccupations and pushing the limits of his creative capabilities.
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During this state of limbo, the printmaker realised how imperative art is to the people. He witnessed firsthand the artist’s role in the world and how it ushered in hope, keeping everyone mentally afloat in desperate times and making intolerable conditions bearable.
With a new sense of purpose post-pandemic, Aviado approaches fine printmaking with renewed enthusiasm. It is now apparent in his latest exhibitions how he takes risks, treading beyond the boundaries of his art-making practice to reach the most refined, confident version of his aesthetic possible.
Above Pandy Aviado (Photo: Casa Luningning)
Pandy Aviado (Photo: Casa Luningning)
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A look back
Aviado started as a student of Araceli Dans in a summer art class in high school. During this time, he met Manuel Rodriguez, who would eventually leave a lasting influence on him. He attended weekly lessons with Rodriguez while studying at the University of Santo Tomas and the Philippine Women’s University.
Now, he is considered one of the top printmakers in the country. He was president of the Art Association of the Philippines and director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Visual Arts Coordinating Center. As a result of his excellence and dedication to the art of printmaking, he was also given the Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi Award in 2018. But his journey is not as linear as anyone thinks.
Above Pandy Aviado (Photo: Altro Mondo)
Pandy Aviado (Photo: Altro Mondo)
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In a statement, the artist likened his journey through the arts to Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s story about the search for the rare butterfly. It was about a collector searching around the world for a rare butterfly but unable to find it. One day, however, it suddenly appeared in his garden. Like the collector, Aviado travelled the world looking for inspiration until he found it in the country, his home.
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Above Aviado’s works at Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea (Photo: Altro Mondo)
Aviado’s works at Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea (Photo: Altro Mondo)
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Aviado couldn’t identify his favourite among the concepts he showcased through the years. For him, it was like picking a favourite finger—he can’t because they are connected.
In present time
Aviado boasts a diverse collection of works and exhibitions under his name. One of the latest is Carpe Artem, a solo show presented by Altro Mondo Arte Contemporanea along Chino Roces Avenue that will end on May 27. Aviado describes the core theme as “refining, not repeating.”
The exhibition was three years in the making, coming to fruition at the height of the pandemic. After much deliberation, he has refined his artistic skills—resulting in a body of works more worthy of his current self and mindset.
Above Aviado’s Graven Images (Photo: Altro Mondo)
Aviado’s Graven Images (Photo: Altro Mondo)
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Each artwork emerges as a revelation of what the artist is capable of, the infinite possibilities of creative expression, and art as a whole.
Above Art installation (Photo: Altro Mondo)
Above Some of Aviado’s works (Photo: Altro Mondo)
Art installation (Photo: Altro Mondo)
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This April 2023, in addition to his one-man show at the Altro Mondo Creative Space, Aviado will also be part of an exhibit at Gallery Sansu in South Korea.
His works are also currently showcased through the annual group exhibition of the Association of Pinoy Printmakers (formerly known as the Philippine Association of Printmakers). Titled, Space/Place, the show is free for everyone to visit at the Bulwagang Roberto Chabet, Cultural Center of the Philippines until June 18.
Through his works and teachings, the artist-printmaker will continue to promote new techniques and processes of printmaking, and make sure it is accessible to younger artists.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
