Visions of nature in steel and pigment

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.

Luminous floral forms

A self-proclaimed “accidental artist,” Josie Carriedo Tionko was academically trained in Social Work at the Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). Josie began not with a brush, but with a mission: To create spaces for Davao artists. In the 1980s, she founded Asiatic Gallery and Liburon Gallery, vital platforms that nurtured Davao City’s emerging talents.

Guided by countless art books and fellow creatives, Josie soon developed a luminous, layered technique in oils. Her long and meditative glazing process transforms canvases into homages to nature’s quiet grace-each stroke, her works featuring hues and colors that glow and evoke a reverence for the divine.

Nurturing cultural identity

In her welcome address, Davao Museum executive director Sylvia Lorenzana reminisced on the storied history of the museum. “On 3 August 1977, Davao Museum of History and Ethnography was formally opened to the public by Zonta Club of Davao City whose members have either donated or loaned their collections to the museum. Today, or 48 years later, we are very pleased to present to you an exhibit of the works of Ms. Ann Tiukinhoy Pamintuan and Ms. Josie Carriedo Tionko, both recipients of Davao City’s prestigious Datu Bago award.”

Also present at the exhibit opening were Datu Bago Awardees Brenda Z. Barba, Patria Montemayor and Mary Ann Montemayor, members of the board of trustees of the Davao Museum Foundation, Inc., Zonta Club members and leaders of the academe.

Exciting changes to the Davao Museum were also announced by Judy Ann C. Prantilla, Davao Museum Foundation, Inc. president, during the event. “Though some nostalgia is in the air, we have hope and gratitude and full confidence in passing the mantle to Ateneo de Davao University,” announcing the turnover of the Davao Museum of History and Ethnography to the Ateneo de Davao University.

“We thank the pioneers of the Davao Museum, particularly the Zonta Club of Davao that started it all. We thank the Filipinas Foundation, now the Ayala Foundation, for donating the property in this village which has housed Davao Museum for the past 48 years,” she added.

Ateneo de Davao University president Fr. Karel San Juan welcomed the announcement. “This development carries deep significance for all who value the stories, objects, and traditions that have shaped Davao and Mindanao. We are grateful to take part in this new phase of the museum’s life, and we see it as a shared responsibility and opportunity.”

The Flora + Fauna Exhibit at the Davao Museum of History and Ethnography runs until 30 June.