By Jessa Mae C. Abug
Manila, Philippines—Filipino visionary artist Larry Cruz Bacabac’s solo sculpture exhibition titled “Unwinged Voyage” is now on display at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Gallery in Intramuros, Manila, until April 30, 2022. This is the first time the NCCA is featuring the artist’s works.
“Unwinged Voyage” is a collection of Bacabac’s sculptures depicting the concept of “flight.” Using various materials like clay, metal, and wood—and whatever else he could put on his hands as a medium, Bacabac’s sculptures were built and molded into winged-like structures in 3D. They aim to inculcate a sense of how flight is physically impossible for a man yet can soar and achieve incredible heights through in the minds of his audience.
University of the Philippines’ Fine Arts instructor Aman Santos curates the exhibit in support of the NCCA.
For Bacabac, human bodies are not designed for flying. He explains, “Our bones are not hollow; our lungs do not process the thin air of higher altitudes. However, our minds have no such limitations. Through art, various concepts can be explored.
[trx_quote cite=”#” title=”Larry Bacabac”] Although the idea of flight has inspired some art before, my works are my flight and the results of that flight.[/trx_quote]
Bacabac, an alumnus of UP-Diliman, is a local artist based in Ugong, Pasig. He aspires to create masterpieces going beyond the viewers’ imagination—making a tangible representation of the “enduring fascination of men with flight.” Check out more of his works here.
The exhibit at the NCCA Gallery is open to the public every Monday to Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., as required by the health protocols due to COVID-19.
Besides Bacabac’s “flight” sculptures, “Tausug Visual Artists Now,” a collaborative exhibition by Rhadzainal Hassan-Sahibul, Mudzhatty Isad Lakibul, Syamsir Matsuki, Norhima Sarabi, Aldam Sawadjaan, and Juliusking Indanan Vivas, is also on view at the NCCA Gallery this month.
For more information, contact Lars Alcazar at (0927) 994 7254, or email the NCCA Gallery at gallery@ncca.gov.ph.
Photos: Oliver Oliveros