Nemi Miranda
October 13 to 21, 2019
Viewdeck, McArthur Park
Palo, Leyte
Nemiranda has been a prolific visual artist for five decades now, mastering in both painting and sculpture.
A self-supporting student, he was taking up Fine Arts, Maor in Painting at the University of Santo Tomas – College Architecture and Fine Arts (UST CAFA) — all the while that he was an apprentice artist at the Mabini Art Gallery from 1968 to 1970.
After graduating in 1970, he was hired to do sculptures in concrete at a resort in his hometown Angono, Rizal. His early training in doing concrete sculptures paved the way to bigger monumental works that brought him to greater heights of his artistic career. His early mastery of drawing the human form made him pursue historical murals, both in painting and sculpture.
Among his notable works are:
1975 – The History of the Philippine Army – 2m x 175m relief sculpture mural at Fort Bonifacio
1989 – The historic People Power Edsa Revolution Mural (Painting)
1997 – Defenders of Bataan sculpture at Dinalupihan City, Bataan
2001 – The second EDSA Revolution (EDSA DOS) concrete sculpture relief mural at the facade of EDSA Shrine
2005 – The 20 Mysteries of Rosary Shrine concrete sculptures from EDSA Shrine to Antipolo Shrine
2005 – The Crucifixion and Resurrection painting mural of the altar of the Antipolo Shrine
2006 – The Ortigas and Company History mural at Ortigas Park. Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
There are area lot more projects worth mentioning, but to briefly describe this artist’s achievements. he has works in all four corners of our country: Manila. Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Today, another accolade of honor for Nemiranda will soon be unveiled at the MacArthur Park on October 20, 2019. The Leyte Gulf Landings Bas Relief Mural will be the main highlight of the celebration, and is in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Landing of General Douglas McArthur in Polo, Leyte in 1944.
The BALIK TANAW art exhibit will sidelight to shine more color to the celebration as it showcases the other side of Nemiranda’s masterful rendition in paintings that is focused on Family. Love, Local Myths and History. The figures on Nemiranda’s works ore purely the product of his imagination, and his mastery of the human form through pure imagination gained him the title of “Father of Imaginative Figurism.”
Nemiranda’s exhibit “Batik Tanaw” is a tribute to the people of Leyte for their unwavering support to this artist who was first commissioned to do the “Map of Leyte on the image of Christ” in Tacloban – but sadly, it was destroyed by typhoon Yolanda. Another sculpture project of Nemiranda here is “The Scout in Motion” that was commissioned by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines that can be seen at the circle going to MacArthur Park.
His 20 year association with the hospitable people of Leyte, especially the art community, has always made feel like he was still at home – a home away from home.
As the saying goes, after all, when you step foot on Leyte, you know you shall always return.
With guest artists from Angono:
Atoy Apostadero and Dolpee Alcantara
Provincial Government of Leyte
PALO, Leyte FAN PAGE
Palo, Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines
Municipality of Angono, Rizal
Leyte Tourism Angono Tourism
Angono Public Information Office
Angono Rizal News Online
DOT IV-A National Commission for Culture and the Arts Department of Tourism – Philippines
