All her life, Marge Organo never expected that artist and sculptor would be the two words defining her legacy as a Filipino. Growing up dabbling in artistic pursuits and with uncles who were painters, she never saw art as a career path. Especially when the opportunity presented itself much later in life. Now, Organo is in her element bringing vibrant color into the world by transforming glass into sculpture. Her latest exhibit, “An Intimate Brilliance,” at Galerie Joaquin highlights her playful artistry, and the intimate connection she has with each piece she creates.
Growing up, Organo never shied away from her artistic side. She dabbled in sketching and designing clothes while she was in school. When she had kids, she became a DIY mom — “When my kids see something they want in the mall, they’ll just ‘Mom will make one for you’.” It was decades later, after retiring from the pharmaceutical business and her kids were grown, that she decided to revisit her passion for the arts.
Organo found her center in sculpting, working with cold cast resin at the time. An invitation to join Rotary Club Makati West’s “Alay Sining” became a career tipping point when a gallery owner asked to represent her. The opportunity gave her the added push she needed to dream of bigger things. Inspired by a renowned Filipino sculptor, glass became her medium of choice. “When I think of glass, I imagine elegance and class. It is also expensive and rare. I am very passionate about it,” she points out. She spent the next two years studying the craft at The Corning Museum of Glass. Soon after, Organo went on to learn new techniques in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic, where many famous glass artists have studied. She has been represented by Galerie Joaquin since 2017.
Over the last 10 years, Organo’s biggest learning curve as an artist was shifting from being idealistic and wanting to impress to pushing boundaries and experimenting. “I wanted to make the challenging pieces. Through my research, I found that my process already covers different technique. It’s just a different style, but I can make anything! From geometrics, I now make human figures,” shares Organo. “I went from conventional to out of this world. I finally have my identity in the glass sculptures I create.”
One such example is Organo’s iconic Sto. Niño glass sculpture. As a devotee, she first created it during the pandemic as an homage to him. Her only must was that it had to be colorful, since all she had seen before then were in clear glass. She sent a photo to her gallery, only to find out it had sold before the Sto. Niño even made it home from the church. Since 2020, she’s created over a hundred of them — always colorful and no two are alike.
For Organo, the name An Intimate Brilliance is an accurate representation of her medium, her connection to her work, and her as an artist. “There is an intimacy with the glass as I work to bring out its brilliance. Each one is very dear to me,” she explains. “When I finish a piece of work, I do not want to let it go. If I can own all the pieces that I make, I would.” Her connection runs deep, where she feels she has created her own language when she is working with the glass, even when talking to her staff as they work. With this, every sculpture that Organo creates and releases to their new homes, she leaves behind a part of her personal story and legacy.
In her latest showcase, Organo has on display pieces from her most beloved series, including The Torso, Belle Fam, and her much asked for Sto. Niño sculptures. She also debuted in this presentation five new sculptures under the Ribbed Series. Much like the ribbing in a dress, pieces are cut and set into the glass, which she explains is a difficult process — “Nowhere in the world can you find a technique like this. I create a void inside before I put the two pieces of glass together. It can be hard to get the two sides to adhere together.” If there is one thing tying all four series in “An Intimate Brilliance” together, it is Organo’s thoughtful use of vibrant color in bringing her work to life.
As unexpected as it is, Organo’s legacy as an artist is among the defining moments in Philippine art history. Her sculptures are a testament not only to her vision as an artist, but also how life can be redirected towards building a personal legacy. “Everything is interconnected. Everything leads to each other. Maybe it’s destiny for me to become an artist. It could be divine intervention,” is how Organo views life these days. How would she want to be spoken of as an artist and sculptors in art books decades from now? “I am female. I am Filipino. I stand out.”