Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, one of the recipients of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Thirteen Artists Awards (TAA) 2024, has always been passionate about the arts. She began honing her skills through formal training at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA). However, when the time came to choose a career path, she almost pursued accountancy —thinking it would offer the financial stability she needed to support herself and her artmaking.

“I was about to enroll in an accountancy program before deciding to take the Talent Determination Test at the UP College of Fine Arts. When I had to choose, which bachelor’s degree to pursue, I really wanted Fine Arts, but I hesitated because I wasn’t sure it would be sustainable after graduation. In the end, I decided to go for Fine Arts, thinking I could always consider another path if it didn’t work out,” Pagkaliwangan recalled, when asked how she came to realize she wanted to become an artist.

While studying, she also took up apprenticeships with artists she admired to learn from their process and approach to artmaking.

Her body of work explores the stories behind mundane yet indispensable objects, using them to examine Philippine history and material culture. Drawing from natural history illustration and taxonomy, she documents personal and historical narratives through hand-pulled prints and drawings.

Preparing for the TAA Exhibit

Being named a recipient of the 2024 TAA is a major milestone for Pagkaliwangan. While the recognition comes with the pressure to live up to its prestige, it also marks a significant achievement in her artistic journey.

When asked about her plans for the upcoming group exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines, she shared that she’s still is in the planning stage but hinted at her intention to develop a site-responsive piece tailored to the space.

“I plan to explore the collection of the National Museum through prints and illustrations. This will allow me to engage in the museum’s archive in a way that reflects my ongoing artistic themes,” Pagkaliwangan shared.

Inspiration, challenges, and artistic process

For Pagkaliwangan, the process of making art begins with broad ideas and interests that gradually take shape through illustration, printmaking, reading, writing, and experimentation. Conversations with peers and mentors play a key role in refining her ideas and encouraging her to view things from different perspectives. This ongoing cycle of learning and creative problem-solving fuels her practice and keeps her moving forward.

One of the challenges she faces as an artist is navigating the overwhelming abundance of information in the digital age. “Determining which sources are credible, relevant, or worth pursuing can be difficult. It’s easy to get overwhelmed because everything is competing for our attention, and information that comes quickly tends to be short-lived or surface-level,” she explained.

Despite these challenges, she remains grounded by focusing on her immediate concerns rather than long-term goals. Currently, she is concentrating on meeting deadlines and managing ongoing projects, including the upcoming exhibition and the specific themes she is exploring in her current work.

Success through authenticity

For Pagkaliwangan, success as an artist means staying true to oneself. “It’s about clarity of intent in our art practice — addressing issues that resonate with both ourselves and society, and that are meaningful on both a personal and collective level,” she emphasized.

With this in mind, she encourages young artists to pursue what genuinely excites them. Doing so, she believes, will naturally lead to meaningful realizations — about what works for them, what doesn’t, and why their art matters both personally and within a broader social context.

The CCP Thirteen Artists Awards

Joining Pagkaliwangan as 2024 CCP TAA awardees are Catalina Africa, Denver Garza, Russ Ligtas, Ella Mendoza, Issay Rodriguez, Luis Antonio Santos, Joshua Serafin, Jel Suarez, Tekla Tamoria, Derek Tumala, Vien Valencia and Liv Vinluan.

Now in its 54th year, the triennial Thirteen Artists Awards began as a curatorial initiative of the CCP Museum, spearheaded by its first curator Roberto Chabet. It was envisioned to showcase the works of Filipino artists who sought to “restructure, restrengthen, and renew artmaking and art thinking” in ways that contribute to the continued vitality of Philippine art.