Ka Enteng. Mayor Balgan, SM Asst. Manager Eusebio, City Tourism Officer Ching Pangilinan and Manansala granddaughter Ronna at the opening of the exhibit at the SM City San Fernando Downtown. Photo by Ric Gonzales
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The works and life of the first National Artist of the Philippines for visual arts from Pampanga was honoured in an exhibit at the SM City San Fernando Downtown in line with the recent 441st founding anniversary celebration of the province.
Vicente Silva Manansala, who was born in 1910 in Macabebe and lived there for about 10 years before transferring to Metro Manila, revolutionized painting and illustration through his self-styled cubism, said Francis Musni of the Holy Angel University (HAU) Center for Kapampangan Studies.
He was part of the committee in 2010 that convinced Manansala’s only son, Emmanuel, to sell to the HAU at least 800 sketches made by his father.
The HAU opened a museum in the school called “The Vicente Manansala Collection.”
The other works of Manansala, who worked as a newsboy and bootblack in Intramuros, Manila during his teenage life, are at the Honolulu Museum, Singapore Art Museum and the Philippine Center in New York City.
“Vicente Manansala has more sketches than paintings. He was a very good artist,” said Musni.
Ronna Manansala, granddaughter of Manansala, Macabebe Mayor Annette Balgan and SM San Fernando assistant mall manager Junias Eusebio led the opening of the gallery on the 4th floor of the mall.
Manansala said her grandfather “woke up early in the morning to walk and collect many things.” She said Manansala “loved to watch movies and was passionate about his work.”
“He wanted to improve all the time,” said Ronna, who is also painter. She added that she had tried to imitate the style of Manansala but decided to make her own.
Balgan, who bought some of the paintings of the younger Manansala, said “we are proud of Manansala.”
“That’s why we are hungry to see his works. We want to be there when his works are displayed,” said Balgan.
She disclosed that a marker in front of municipal hall was dedicated to Manansala, who was declared a national artist in 1982, about a year after he died from cancer.
Balgan said she is leading efforts to make Manansala “more popular in our town.”
“The old ones know Vicente Manansala. But not really the younger ones,” said Balgan.
For his part, Eusebio said “we are helping Pampanga in promoting its artists in our own little way.” This, he added, was in line with the Pampanga Day celebration on December 11.
Replicas of Manansala’s works and facts about his life were displayed from December 11 to 14 at the mall at heart of this city.
