Filipinos have always cultivated a love for the fine arts. From the legendary Juan Luna to National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, art has shaped the landscape and culture of the Philippines. Another illustrious National Artist, the late Vicente Manansala, had his work exhibited at the National Museum, and with the help of Philam Life, more paintings of Manansala are made available for public viewing.
At a recent event hosted by Philam Life, guests were taken to an exclusive tour of the Philam Life Gallery by National Museum Assistant Director Dr. Ana Labrador. The gallery houses the Manansala paintings - the crown jewel in Philam Life’s art collection which are the seven paintings that depict Filipino life, rendered in the artist signature style of “transparent cubism”.
Philam Life donated Php 1 million to the Museum through the Philam Foundation. This sum will be used for the further upkeep of the paintings at the Philam Life Gallery, and was received by Dr. Ana Labrador on behalf of the National Museum.
The Philam Foundation has also been cooperating with the National Museum in building classrooms in typhoon-affected areas under the “Philam Paaralan” program. They jointly built four new classrooms - two in Loon South Central Elementary School, in Loon, Bohol soon after the earthquake and two in Salug Elementary School in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, which was among the schools devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.
Philam Life’s new CEO takes pride in its Manansala collection. “As an art connoisseur myself, it is a privilege to be part of an institution that strongly supports the arts,” said Mr. Axel Bromley. He believes in the importance of developing education and promoting the advancement of Philippine arts and culture. “We hope that through this partnership with the National Museum, more Filipinos can appreciate our collection and have access to these precious artworks of National Artist Vicente Manansala.”
Vicente Manansala was a cubist painter and illustrator of no small renown. He was commissioned by Philam Life to create murals for the Philam Life Head Office. Following his passing in 1981, he was posthumously proclaimed a National Artist in Painting on the same year.
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