Two Dabawenyo art and design luminaries take part in an exhibit at the Don Antonio Floirendo Sr. Gallery of the Davao Museum of History and Ethnography. Titled Flora + Fauna the exhibit features the works of metal sculptor and designer Ann Tiukinhoy Pamintuan and floral artist Josie Carriedo Tionko.

From 23 April, the exhibition brings together distinct yet complementary artistic visions of nature from two different perspectives and materials. From the organic forms and whimsical animals in Pamintuan’s sculptural metalwork to the strikingly colorful floral landscapes in Tionko’s oil paintings, both artists celebrate nature and its endless forms in quiet beauty.

Steel menagerie

Known for her playful designs and distinct design language, multi-awarded furniture, home accessories and jewelry designer Ann Tiukinhoy Pamintuan is a strong influence on Davao’s creative identity.

Using metal, she skillfully transforms a cold and impersonal material into elegant, fluid and emotionally resonant pieces, elevating metal into sculptural forms that seamlessly blend function and artistry.

Her signature metal weave was key in the making of the iconic Cocoon Chair in 2000, earning her a historic distinction as the first Asian woman designer to be featured in the International Design Yearbook in 2002 and 2004. Award after award poured in. By 2013, she had designed a series of life-size wire horses, a tribute to her thirteen siblings. Since then, her menagerie of interwoven wire and stainless-steel creatures — each piece enduring beyond the fragility of life — has captivated collectors worldwide.