ArtSpeak: Gender and Creative Practice

Join ArtSpeak: Gender and Creative Practice, a conversation organized in line with the exhibition Matrix II: Women Artists from the Collections of the Ateneo Art Gallery and Ambeth R Ocampo

16 April 2024, Tuesday

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Ben Chan ArtSuite, 2F Ateneo Art Gallery

Soledad V Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Registration REQUIRED at https://go.ateneo.net/GenderAndCreativePractice

Ateneo Art Gallery presents “Gender and Creative Practice,” a conversation moderated by Dr. Kristine Santos, Executive Director of the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (ALIWW), featuring visual artists Maria Cruz, Julie Lluch, Lee Paje, and Tanya Villanueva, on 16 April 2024, 2:00 pm at the Ben Chan ArtSuite, 2F Ateneo Art Gallery, Soledad V Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté.

Organized in line with the exhibition "Matrix II: Women Artists from the Collections of the Ateneo Art Gallery and Ambeth R Ocampo,” the program will discuss the intersection between gender and creative practice, and the challenges each artist has faced in their respective artistic journeys.

This ArtSpeak program is organized with support from the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (ALIWW), in line with “Matrix II: Women Artists from the Collections of the Ateneo Art Gallery and Ambeth R Ocampo,” on-view from 16 March 2024 – 3 August 2024 at the Mr & Mrs Ching Tan Gallery and Mr & Mrs Chung Te Gallery, UGF Ateneo Art Gallery, Soledad V Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.

Moderator:

Dr. Kristine Santos is the Executive Director of the Ateneo Library of Women’s Writings (ALiWW) and assistant professor in the Department of History and Japanese Studies Program at Ateneo de Manila University. Her research focuses on social, cultural, at times historical, and affective interventions that impact women’s queer and transformative engagements with Asian media. Her studies examine a wide range of literacies related to comics production, fan networks, and Boys Love culture. She specializes in gender, cultural studies and history, and popular and fan cultures in Asia.

The Speakers:

With a practice that centers on multimedia explorations of artistic processes and physical and conceptual approaches on color and language, the works of visual artist Maria Cruz range from painting and sculpture, to installation and video, with a particular emphasis on visuality, materiality, and meaning. Reflection and personal exchange serve as key elements in her artmaking process, touching on themes that delve into the interplay between art and life.

A graduate of Philosophy from the University of Santo Tomas, self-taught sculptor Julie Lluch is known for her works in terracotta, stone, ceramic, and bronze, that present satirical commentaries on the relationship between the sexes. Her subjects are often portrait sculptures of women performing various domestic chores, raising questions on the topic of femininity and religious conviction. Lluch co-founded the KALAYAAN (Katipunan ng Kababaihan para sa Kalayaan) in 1983, which sought to bring together mothers, students, writers, artists, and activists concerned with feminist issues. In 1990, she also co-founded the KASIBULAN Women Artists Collective, the first and longest-running feminist art organization in the Philippines.

The practice of visual artist Lee Paje incorporates materials such as wood, copper, resin, and paper, reflecting a meticulous attention to detail and refinement of technique. Her works explore the diverse cultural and historical influences that have shaped the Philippines as a nation, with themes that tackle gender identity, inequity, and myth-making.

Visual artist Tanya Villanueva graduated in 2016 from the UP College of Fine Arts with a degree in Painting. Her works explore the production of art objects and the nature of this cultural labor through photography, mixed media installations, and collaborative projects, utilizing an approach that pairs grand gestures with personal positions.