The Augusto P. Sarmiento Cancer Institute (APSCI) is hosting art gallery on August 8-19 at The Medical City Ortigas Lobby. With the theme Accept, Adapt, Transcend - the exhibit aims to inspire hope and joy amidst life's challenges. It mirrors the passage from darkness to light, from caterpillar to butterfly, from fear to hope - as we emerge better, braver, and stronger. A transcendent version of our former selves. 

The exhibit features works from contemporary and master Filipino artists and a portion of the sales will go to the Akbay Ginhawa Cancer Fund. Check out some of the featured art pieces below. 

To purchase an art piece or for inquiries, contact APSCI at 8988-1000/8988-7000 ext. 6214.

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Ferdie Cacnio

“Swan” 

12in x 8in (approximate) 

Painted brass 

Ferdie is a UP Diliman BS Civil Engineering graduate with no formal art training, but nurtured in the aesthetics of fine arts by his artist father Angel Cacnio. 2005 marked the official start of his career as a sculptor with his solo exhibit The Dancer. In the same year, he bagged an award from the Art Association of the Philippines. He is a member of the Tuesday Group of artists, Art Association of the Philippines, Sining Tambobong, and Society of Philippine Sculptors.

 Jerry Morada 

“Red Pig” 

10in x 7in (approximate) 

marble on wooden base 

Jerry Morada is a graduate of the UP College of Fine Arts. Prior to working as a visual artist, he was a producer of The Probe Team. He founded the Guevarra Group together with Dominic Rubio, Gig De Pio, and Edwin Tres Reyes. His Red Pig harks back to the Filipino trademark of food and merriment aplenty during festivities.

Michael Cacnio 

“Fisherman” 

16in x 12in (approximate) 

brass and stone 

Now a world-class brass sculptor, this graduate of the UP College of Fine Arts started as a painter. His works feature Filipino characters and archetypes, revealing everyday Filipino life, family, and community. This piece highlights the titular fisherman in action, having to balance on precarious surfaces just to rein in the catch of the day. 

Mary Rose Gisbert 

“Mother and Child” 

36in x 24in 

acrylic on canvas 

Hailing from the UST Fine Arts – Advertising program, she transitioned into freelance design jobs after working for the government. Inspired by Picasso and Van Gogh, her style is distinctly abstract-impressionism with bright colors and subjects’ exaggerated features. Mother and Child offers a different take on the usual somber affair, with the doting mother holding her child up in play. 

Jojo Ramirez 

“Bangka” 

12in x 10in (approximate) 

resin and wood 

A graduate of La Consolacion College Fine Arts – Advertising, Jojo Ramirez is a surrealist contemporary artist offering social commentary through his works. Bangka is his creative response to the pandemic, with characters navigating, and eventually triumphing over, isolation and despair. 

Ram Mallari and Otep Banez 

“Mixer series” 

16in x 16in (approximate) 

scrap, brass, and resin 

Otep’s miniature chefs peering into and operating the mechanism manages to soften Ram’s signature steampunk machinery, their collaboration resulting in a whimsical piece budding bakers, enthusiasts, and collectors alike will want in their homes. 

Omi Reyes 

“Vespa” 

12in x 8in (approximate) 

wood 

Painter-sculptor Omi Reyes works’ have been featured in exhibits locally as well as in Malaysia, and Singapore. His works convey the central message that we are all connected to one another, while also exploring themes related to self-discovery and his personal experiences and views. Vespa represents the perfect piece for scooter enthusiasts, the gear details adding a quirky element to the scooter in question. 

Deeko

“The Cool Beast Mix” 

24in x 48in 

acrylic and plaster of paris 

A graduate of fine arts from Kalayaan College, headed by national artist Napoleon Abueva. The Cool Beast Mix is an apt title for this blue and gray creation with different media, perfect for adding a touch of the modern to spaces that need it. 

Cezar Arro 

“Woman” 

48in x 48in 

acrylic on canvas 

Iloilo-born expressionist and realist artist Cezar Arro is a 4-time finalist of the Philippine Art Awards and 4-time winner of the Visayan Art Awards. He has been called the destroyer of human faces, an injustice as the underlying beauty of his subjects shine through the patchwork of colors he uses. 

Irish Galon 

“Bewitched” 

48in x 48in 

oil on canvas 

Irish Galon is a Boholana who chose brushes and canvas over her original profession of being an architect. Her works distinctly portray faceless women not hiding something, as one may think, but revealing truths and desires in the spaces where their heads would normally be. 

Jun Caingat 

“Lady” 

30in x 24in 

oil on canvas 

Jun Caingat comes from the UST Fine Arts program and later studied in the Julian Ashton School of Syndey. He is known for his geometric neo-figures done in bold colors and textures. In 1996, he won over 13 other artists for the honor of doing a mural for the Blacktown Migrant Resource Center in Australia. The Lady in this piece is dressed to the nines, perhaps on her way to or already at a function, but with her eyes curiously belying a detachment or boredom. 

Art Lozano 

“Bonding” 

48in x 48in 

acrylic on canvas 

Art Lozano comes from Ilocos. Since 2000, he has been recognized by various award-giving bodies such as the AAP Annual Art Competition, Metrobank Art and Design Excellence National Competition, GSIS Art Award, and the Philip Morris Art Award. He is currently a member of the renowned Baguio Tam-Awan artist group, and this particular piece is typical of his retro-pop style. 

Meneline Wong, M.D. 

“Radiance” 

48in x 48in 

acrylic on canvas 

With a friend's influence in 2017, Dr. Wong decided to try her hand at art. According to her, science and art coexist together; both are learning processes with the intention to create endless possibilities. Her works are characterized by abstract movement, flows, and stillness at the same time. 

Michael Pastorizo 

“Inflight” 

48in x 48in 

oil on canvas 

Though he took up Accountancy, Business, and Management in college, his stints under various artists over 15 years taught him art techniques and styles which he now uses on his own pieces. His works adapt the origins of pattern, the Fibonacci sequence, emphasized by contrasting colors and other experimental methods. 

Phillip Ines 

“Pag-ibig ni Pepe” 

48in x 48in 

oil on canvas 

As the name suggests, this piece shows the subjects of Jose Rizal’s affections at different points in his life. Vivid and modern patterns on their clothing add a dash of the contemporary to the historical, further enhanced by the youthful practice of using magazine cut-outs for facial features, particularly of the idols of the day. 

Bullet Dematera 

“Woman” 

36in x 48in 

oil on canvas 

An avid artist even as a child, Bullet worked as a studio assistant to Roland Ventura before becoming a full-fledged apprentice for 10 years, learning how to use graphite and the right combination of pencils before moving on to acrylic and oil and eventually owning his own unique style. Woman displays his artistry in full effect by maximizing just how many textures and colors one can show with paint and brush. 

Rissa Calica 

“Glee” 

48in x 48in 

oil on canvas 

A product of University of Santo Tomas' college of fine arts and architecture, Rissa Calica is an internationally-exhibited Filipina artist and an award-winning creative director. Her works celebrate the joy of life and draw you into the happiest confines of your heart. They are loose and free, each conveying a small reprieve from the demands of life.