MEDIUM Salvaged steel water pipes, resin, and flakes of San Sebastian Basilica rust
SIZE
21 in. x 21 in.
YEAR
2021
CATALOGUE NO. SSB-PSI-S-01
ARTIST'S STATEMENT "This work is made up of cut sections of old water pipes welded together. Each one has a flake of rust from San Sebastian, embedded with resin. The flakes are meant to resemble flower petals. The sculpture is a rosary, each pipe section is one bead. The title refers to a common child’s guessing game where the players pull off petals from a flower saying 'He loves me, he loves me not, etc. to determine one’s affection for another. We, of course, were loved first by God with a love that is unwilting and ever certain."
Juan Alcazaren (b. 1960) is known for his sculptural works, distinguished by his use of materials from everyday life as well as industrial objects. The artist’s hand is evidenced by marks and scratches, and clues of an object’s past are left here and there, often covered in rust. Alcazaren was commissioned in 2017 to create a permanent installation at the Areté of the Ateneo de Manila University. He also does video work using stop-motion animation, a throwback to his days working on experimental animation with his brothers during the 80s and 90s. Alcazaren was conferred the prestigious Thirteen Artists Award in 2000 from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of the Philippines and took foundation courses in sculpture. He served as lecturer from 1995 to 1997 at the U.P. College of Fine Arts. Alcazaren continues to be active in major local and international exhibits, including 3 major solo shows in 2020 with the over-arching theme of fresh beginnings. As of this writing, he is preparing for a group show in Singapore in November 2021 and his first major solo exhibit in 2022.
CURATOR'S NOTESAsst. Prof. Mary Ann Venturina Bulanadi, Ph.D.
The concept and even the title of Alcazaren's art assemblage raises a child’s playfulness, just as we as God's children oftentimes question if we are loved or not by the Almighty. With our everyday struggles, it is each person’s interpretation if, indeed, we are loved or not. The art assemblage interpreted as a rosary is also a veneration to Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian and Nuestra Señora de la Salud. The rust incorporated into the beads forms a beautiful part of the rosary.
About the Artist — Juan Alcazaren
Juan Alcazaren (b. 1960) is known for his sculptural works, distinguished by his use of materials from everyday life as well as industrial objects. The artist’s hand is evidenced by marks and scratches, and clues of an object’s past are left here and there, often covered in rust. Alcazaren was commissioned in 2017 to create a permanent installation at the Areté of the Ateneo de Manila University. He also does video work using stop-motion animation, a throwback to his days working on experimental animation with his brothers during the 80s and 90s. Alcazaren was conferred the prestigious Thirteen Artists Award in 2000 from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of the Philippines and took foundation courses in sculpture. He served as lecturer from 1995 to 1997 at the U.P. College of Fine Arts. Alcazaren continues to be active in major local and international exhibits, including 3 major solo shows in 2020 with the over-arching theme of fresh beginnings. As of this writing, he is preparing for a group show in Singapore in November 2021 and his first major solo exhibit in 2022.
CURATOR'S NOTES — Asst. Prof. Mary Ann Venturina Bulanadi, Ph.D.
The concept and even the title of Alcazaren's art assemblage raises a child’s playfulness, just as we as God's children oftentimes question if we are loved or not by the Almighty. With our everyday struggles, it is each person’s interpretation if, indeed, we are loved or not. The art assemblage interpreted as a rosary is also a veneration to Nuestra Señora del Carmen de San Sebastian and Nuestra Señora de la Salud. The rust incorporated into the beads forms a beautiful part of the rosary.
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