Laguna-based artist Paul Hilario at NCCA Gallery
The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) continues to support artists and creatives from the regions as part of its commitment to realize plans of the national government to reaffirm cultural identity and democratize access to provisions in culture and the arts.
Laguna-based artist Paul Hilario launched his solo exhibition titled “Ille Imperium” on July 6 at the NCCA Gallery.
This event aims to provoke art enthusiasts with Hilario’s satirical visual narratives on a sick empire.
Curator Laya Boquiren says of the artist’s works: “Paul Hilario’s solo exhibition offers a satirical exploration of a nation in decline. His visual allegories are thought-provoking meditations on the state and its governance.
The artist prefers to wage his battles through symbols, which are enigmatic provocations that elicit contested responses from different people.”
Hilario graduated with a BS degree in Biology, major in Microbiology, from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna. He was the curator of the International Rice Research Institute Riceworld Museum, an ethnographic and science museum.
His artistic interest started at a young age and was further stirred when he became one of the founding members of MakiSining. He considers himself largely self-taught, yet he was mentored early in his professional art career by Marcel Antonio, one of the Philippines’ most respected artists.
He has had various group and solo exhibitions here and abroad.
The NCCA exhibit features 14 paintings and two installations, each bearing Hilario’s unique approach to figuration and palette.
Admission is free and open to the public. The NCCA Gallery is open Mondays through Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
