The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Visual Arts and Museum Division (CCP VAMD) celebrates the National Women’s Month with the exhibit Woman: Thesis and Antithesis, featuring selected artworks from the CCP 21AM Collection. It will be on view from 21 March to 24 June at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City.

Curated by museum director Jeannie Javelosa, the exhibit highlights pieces that explore women as subject matter in “Women in Society” component, as well as works created by Filipino female artists in “Women Expressions.”

To be displayed at the ground floor of the museum, the “Women in Society” collection poses the question: Are women being represented properly, or underrepresented and even misrepresented? This is an important issue today as women’s role in society has evolved significantly over time.

In the exhibit notes: “Filipino artists have extensively explored women as subject matter, as a form rendered through various styles from the figurative to the abstract; and as a subject in relation to her role in community as seen through the artist’s personal lenses.

“In the majority of the images, we find an almost romantic and inspirational idealization of woman and her role in society as mother, lover and partner in the domestic scene.”

Meanwhile, “Women Expressions” pieces become part of a continuum of women’s visual expressions that continues to shift as political landscapes, about women’s rights and the feminine spirit gains power in the world today.

Exhibited on the third floor, the second exhibit component showcases women artists as they “speak to the world using their art as the extension of their minds, hearts and spirits. They express particular issues they face as women: gender biases, provocative thoughts about religious and spiritual conviction, interpersonal relationships and the depth of complexities about identity formation.”

Many have feminist overtones that militantly advocate for shifts and changes in their roles as women and how they are perceived. A number are as aggressive in the exploration of materials and techniques as their male counterparts.

Entrance fee for adults is P100. Discounted price of P50 is for students, seniors and PWDs. Free admission days are 29 April, 27 May and 24 June. There will be public programs on these dates. Visiting days are from Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Yuchengco Museum is located at the RCBC Plaza, at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue in Makati City. For more information on the exhibit, check out the official CCP and CCP VAMD Facebook accounts. Follow CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.