The UP Open University (UPOU) Cultural Committee proudly hosts the solo art exhibit of Jose Glenn Blanco entitled "Paglalayag sa Kulay ng Buhay" at the Galeria Sinag, UPOU Community Hub, Los Baños, Laguna. The exhibit officially opened on 08 August 2016 with UPOU Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria delivering the welcome message and opened the program. "Ang bawat pangyayari ay humuhubog sa ating katauhan at sa ating kinabukasan. Ang bawat kulay as nagpapaganda ng buhay," she stated. Chancellor Bandalaria thanked Mr. Blanco for choosing to exhibit with UPOU, and commended the Cultural Committee for spearheading activities that enrich the culture and champion local artists and their works.Dr. Primo Garcia, Chair of the UPOU Cultural Committee, introduced the artist and the exhibit. The artist, Jose Glenn Blanco, is the eldest of the seven siblings of Jose "Pitok" Blanco and Loreto "Loring" Blanco, the begetter of the Blanco Family of Artists of Angono Rizal. The family is known for folk realism that portrays the so-called "Tagalog Pastorale."
Jose Glenn Blanco, along with all his siblings, inherited his father's artistic talent and his works became noted for its realistic and detailed portrayal of the local flora, which evokes the tranquility of nature. His works are also products of his fascination over the rural life and social rituals of Angono.
Glenn has been part of the Blanco Family exhibits in Beijing, China, Singapore, Seville, Spain, San Fransisco and New York. In 2012, he held his first solo exhibit at SM Taytay. He has awarded as the Outstanding Alumni of University of Santo Tomas'(UST) College of Arts and Letters in 2013, and was awarded the TOTAL 2014 Award, the highest award given to alumni of UST for his contribution to Philippine art. Just this July 2016, Glenn, along with 11 other artists, was featured at the Art Dialogo in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
As stated by Dr. Garcia, the word paglalayag or passage was chosen for two reasons: "first, it evokes the artistic passage that the artist has travelled over these years and second, the metaphor of the "bangka" is quite apt since the Laguna lake has always provided a backdrop against which Glenn and his family have featured the lives of the people of Angono, Rizal". Jose Glenn Blanco's works in this exhibit is classified into three thematic areas – landscapes, rural life, and social rituals. Dr. Garcia related that lately, Mr. Blanco explored the darker aspects of life and shifts to the pre-Hispanic world of babaylan and indigenous people. "While still employing the folk realist style, his current depictions tend to shed light on what could possibly lurk beneath the romantic face of the Tagalog pastorale."
In his response message, Mr. Blanco related that every artist dreams of having solo exhibits. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to UPOU for the opportunity of having one at its auspices.
Paglalayag sa Kulay ng Buhay is open to the public from 8AM to 5PM until 21 September 2016. Inquiries may be addressed to Ms. Lorie Mones at (049)536-6001 to 06, local 450, or sent to [email protected]. (Anna Cañas-Llamas)
