Sculpting strength, painting empowerment
She stands tall en pointe, with her legs crossed and back arched while her arms are raised for her hands to meet in a clasp and frame her head.
Titled “Croisé,” after a term used in ballet, the wooden sculpture created by artist Jenny Cortes is part of the “The Power of Her” exhibit jointly presented by the Female Art Addicts (FAA) and Gallery Genesis.
“A frozen moment of grace,” Cortes said of her work in an interview with Lifestyle at the exhibit’s opening on March 8, in celebration of International Women’s Day.
“I wanted to extend the possibility of my material,” she added, explaining that she used hundreds of wooden blocks made from scraps that came from her other projects. “The making of the blocks itself is a long process. Then I started the actual construction. Probably a month and a half of dedicated work.”
Cortes is among the 16 FAA members and two guest artists who worked on the 44-piece collection that showcases women’s power and feminine sensibility.
The group was formed in 2016 by Margarita Lim, Monette Alvarez, Maria Candida Dee, and Addie Cukingnan out of their desire to make thought-provoking and timely art. Over the years, the FAA grew to its current lineup, which now includes women artists from other fields like architecture, digital arts, classical music, health care, and business.
“There’s one defining thing that unites us all, and that is art,” FAA president Flor Baradi said in her welcome remarks. “This group is made up of strong, confident women. That’s why ‘‘The Power of Her’ perfectly encapsulates the spirit of this exhibit.”
Exhibit for a cause
Several FAA members have joined Gallery Genesis’ annual watercolor competition, “Kulay sa Tubig,” said the gallery’s president, Patrice Salas, and that led the group to send a proposal to do an exhibit. Their first collaboration started in 2024, also in time for Women’s Month.
“We didn’t expect that this year would be bigger,” Salas said. “There are more artists. It’s different because they worked on different media. Usually, it’s just watercolor or oil, acrylic. In this exhibit, there’s glass, wood, and metal.”
The exhibit also marks Gallery Genesis’ first project with Zonta Club of Makati and Environs Foundation Inc. Salas says a portion of the proceeds will be donated to fund the foundation’s three main projects concerning women, education, and livelihood.
When asked about working with female artists, she says she admires the confidence women have in the predominantly male industry. She notes that “women are so empowered” now and “it reflects in their artworks.”
Women in general are admirable for having the “strength and ability to go through all situations with so much grace.”
Female artists
Aside from “Croisé,” Cortes has two smaller sculptures in the exhibit. One is called “Pikpik,” a solid figure made of acacia wood that depicts a human form compressed for self-protection. The other, titled “Lambing,” explores the Madonna and child theme using mango wood and making the figure rock just like how a mother pacifies her little one.
Cortes, who trained under renowned sculptor Jerry Araos, has been working as a full-time artist since joining her first group exhibit in 1995 and has since had solo shows. She also makes bespoke furniture using upcycled wood.
Meneline Wong is an obstetrician-gynecologist by profession and an abstract artist at heart. She told us she only discovered she could do art when she started playing around with art materials in 2017. She got positive feedback from her artist-friends, so she went on painting.
Two years later, Wong joined the GSIS National Art Competition and placed second in the nonrepresentational category that had 928 other entries. That feat made her the first woman to ever win a major art award at the competition organized by the Government Service Insurance System. In 2020, she won first place in the first Robinsons Land National Art Competition.
Wong marvels at how her art has evolved from predominantly dark to livelier hues that give more depth and meaning to her works. For the two pieces in the exhibit, ““Unbreakable 2” and “Unbreakable 3,” she explored mixed media.
Just like the lumps in her artworks, she says, women have flaws that can still be sources of strength and inspiration for them to become what they want to be.
“The Power of Her” also features the works of Baradi, Alvarez, Cukingham, and Lim, with members Lousell Camus, Maria Candida Lee, Dezzie Isla, Jeanette Kamphus, Kathy Mas, Shirley Tan, Jade Fulgar, Lara Latosa, Monica Manahan, and Jael Mendoza. They are joined by guest artists Rica Rosario Ong and Gean Sollestre.
The exhibit runs until April 7 at Gallery Genesis in Capitol Commons’ Estancia Mall in Pasig City.
