WHO and what defines women’s image?
These are the questions that are explored in the touring exhibit of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, titled Woman: Thesis and Antithesis. Curated by Yuchengco Museum director Jeannie Javelosa, the exhibit features artworks that highlight women as subject matter, and celebrated women artists amid the evident gender divide in the field of visual arts in the Philippines. The exhibit is divided into two sections: the Women in Society collections displayed at the ground floor, and the Women Expressions exhibited at the third floor of Yuchengco Museum.
The Women in Society collection chronicles women’s various roles in society while stimulating the critical thinking of audiences of whether women are represented properly over time. Meanwhile, in the Women Expressions collection, arts have become an extension of women’s expressions on particular issues they face in a patriarchal society. Consisting of different feminist overtones, some artworks militantly advocate for shifts and changes in their roles as women and how they are perceived.
The exhibit is part of the CCP touring exhibit series and also marks its first collaboration with the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City.
“For the next three years, the CCP is going to be closed and we are delighted that we have friends just like the Yuchengco Museum with whom we can work so that the CCP can continue its activities in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts, and the other elements of culture and the arts with which we deal,” said CCP chairperson Jaime C. Laya, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to CCP’s partner organizations in helping the 54-year-old institution continue its mission in the promotion and preservation of the Philippine arts and culture.
The exhibit runs until June 24 at the Yuchengco Museum at the RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue in Makati City. Visiting schedule is Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm. Entrance fee for adults is P100, with discounted price of P50 for students, seniors and PWDs. Admission is free on June 24.
Image credits: CCP