An Abueva inside the PICC was a treat

Having a moment with the DAMBANA SA PASKO (1982) was priceless to think of it now. A Napoleon Abueva inside PICC was a treat given our hectic convention schedule for a week and it was a consolation for me for missing a museum on a Philippine museum month of October. Here, I am sharing with you some photos I took trying to capture the intricate details if this wood carving. 

So far, this is the second piece of his that I saw. The first one was in the National Museum, and it was an intricate wall sculpture that deserves a second closer look.

This is the transcript that accompanies the sculpture:

"Napoleon V. Abueva (born 1930)

Dambana ng Pasko

1982

Molave and metal

450 x 479 cm

His childhood memories of life in Bohol are realized in his recurring fascination with the carabao, the workhorse of the Filipino farmer.

As a child, he would create carabao sculptures in clay. As a man, the sculptor, he would keep on returning to this subject in wood, metal, and stone. In competitions, he sometimes competed against himself and would win awards in both conservative and

modern categories, a testament to his brilliance and ability to create both figurative and abstract works. In 1976, he became

the youngest recipient of the title National Artist for Visual Arts in 1976 and is considered the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture.

Abueva has utilized almost all kinds of materials available to him from hard woods such as molave, narra, kamagong and acacia

including the softer langka wood, ipil, palm wood and bamboo to adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral and brass. Some of his famous works are the Sunburst (Manila Peninsula Hotel), The Transfiguration (Eternal Gardens, Balintawak), Gateway (U.P. Avenue) and the marble sculptures at the base of the cross of the Dambana ng Kagitingan

(Mt. Samat, Bataan).

In Dambana ng Pasko, Abueva recreates the events that surround the birth of Jesus Christ from His laying in a manger up to the flight

to Egypt. At the topmost, the artist has put in an angel. However, instead of the usual cherubic and young image associated with

an angel, Abueva sculpts his self-portrait of a bearded winged figure."