By Jt Nisay
There’s warmth in the latest solo exhibit of acclaimed visual artist Araceli Limcaco Dans. It’s one that is set not with colors, but with a universal subject.
In Ang Mundo ni Inay, a mother’s unconditional love shines through in Dans’s paintings and sculptures, with significations of maternal affection and sacrifice.
The exhibit also marks the 86-year-old artist’s debut in paper-clay sculptures. Dans said she tried her hand in the medium because it stands as her attempt to innovate.
With the use of discarded newspaper and glue, Dans created several figurines featured in the show, including Sa Dibdib ni Inay. The intricate piece, which took over 9,000 sheets of old newsprint to make, shows a mother resting with her infant. Another features a family of tribal people, titled Pamilya sa Bundok, made of over 6,000 sheets.
Aside from the novelty, the exhibit also carries Dans’s forte of calado paintings in watercolor and acrylic. In a statement, National Artist of the Philippines for Creative Dance Leonor Orosa Goquinco calls Dans works as “perfection itself, the epitome of elegance.”
The praise comes to life in Panuelo ni Eva, a diptych that shows a flowing shawl with stunning details, including hidden faces of women.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines Fine Arts program and a seasoned artist with over 70 years of experience in art making, Dans has held more than 160 exhibits both local and abroad. She’s also multiawarded, with a roster of recognitions, such as the Centennial Award for Painting and Art Education from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Mariang Maya Award for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Arts, and the Art Distinction Award for Painting and Art Education from the City of Manila, among others.
Furthermore, Dans has been honored by the UP and the Philippine Women’s University alumni associations for her contributions in the field of visual art and art education. Unknown to some, Dans established the Arts Education Program of the Ateneo de Manila Grade School, as well as the College of Fine Arts of the Philippine Women’s University. She has also served as the president of the UP College of Fine Arts Alumni Association.
Ang Mundo ni Inay is on view at ArtistSpace of the Ayala Museum until October 4.
The exhibit is sponsored by the UP Sigma Delta Phi Alumnae Association, and is for the benefit of Sagip Buhay Medical Foundation Inc. of the Philippine General Hospital.