New York — New York-based Fil-Am artist Marie Fe B. Conde-Acera’s first solo exhibit featuring mainly the vibrant and bold colors characteristic of Mindanao art entitled “East-West Fusion: A Celebration of Filipino Culture in Colors” opened at the Lobby Gallery of the Philippine Center on October 28, 2019.
The exhibit showcased 25 artworks featuring sayaw mindanao, buwak, sarimanok, bayho and colors of diaspora. The evident use of various and distinct colors manifests the rich cultural heritage of Butuan City and Marawi City, where the artist spent her growing up years. Family, friends, and supporters of the artist, including those from her alma mater, Mindanao State University, graced the occasion.
Marie Fe B. Conde-Acera is a self-taught artist who started painting as a hobby. Her mother noticed her artistic skill at an early age when she showed an interest in cartooning and designing greeting cards. But her creative side had to take the back seat when she pursued her bachelor’s degree and eventually worked as a social worker and educator. Her passion for arts was rekindled after she and her husband moved to New York City.
The artist, in her message, spoke proudly about Mindanao’s cultural and artistic legacy, which is evident in her paintings of the sarimanok, a mythical bird that has figured in a number of legends of Mindanao, and the use of okir, an art motif distinctive for its use of geometric and flowing designs.
Vice Consul Tanya Faye O. Ramiro congratulated Ms. Conde-Acera for renewing her passion for painting, and for bringing to the fore the rich and distinctive culture of Mindanao through the exhibit in her welcome remarks.
Ms. Conde-Acera had a Preview Exhibit showcasing six of her 25 pieces during the Gala Night of the Tapok Agusanon Ngani Amerika (TANA) 2019 in New York.
The art exhibit was open to the public until November 8, 2019.
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For more information, visit https://www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.newyorkpcg.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY/.
