Art Review – Nunelucio Alvarado

Qube Gallery presented A Solo Exhibition of Nune Alvarado at Qube Gallery in Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu City. The show started on April 23, 2015 and ended on May 17, 2015.

Nunelucio Alvarado, who was born in the year 1950 in the Philippines, is well known artist in the South-East Asian art scene since the 1970’s.

The artist finished his Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Manila and is a founding member of the 1980 politicized art group “Black Artists in Asia”.

His awards include the Thirteen Artists Award from the Cultural Centre of the Philippines (1992), Grand Prize in the Philip Morris Philippine Art Awards (1997 & 1999). Museums that have his works include Singapore Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum as have private collectors in the Philippines and abroad.

Nune Alvarado is famous for his social realist artworks that portray the faces, the plights and struggles of the Negros-based “sakadas” (labourers hired from outside) and other marginalized sectors in the Philippines.

This exhibit though featured another side of him as he introduced a new collection entitled “Nawong Series”.

The Nawong Series are mostly artworks created at a smaller size. The figures are mixtures of different geometrical shapes and portraits done in the cubist manner. The exhibit gives a new twist to the artists as the works no longer bear the progressive massages his previous works had.

The “Nawong series”, also does not show that distinct color, emotion and strength art works that Nunelicio Alavarado have been known for.

In the eyes of the art enthusiasts, this is entirely good news. The new works of Nune show evolution and an openness to risk and change. The works show that despite his numerous achievements, Nunelucio Alvarado is not done yet contributing to the Philippine art scene. His success has not made him complacent nor has it made him stale.

And a,“still hungry”, Nunelucio Alvarado is just what the Philippine art scene needs.

About the author: N.M. CABANGBANG graduated Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Painting at University of the Philippines Cebu. He is now currently teaching grade 6 – 10 Art at B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy.