Women artists then and now: An integral homage

Inspired by the concept of femmage, introduced in 1978 by feminist artists Miriam Schapiro and Melissa Meyer, Femme Hommage commemorated and celebrated women whose crucial voices have influenced conversations and movements across rich cultures and several generations.

The exhibition recognized the long tradition of women collecting, preserving, recycling, and transforming everyday happenings and materials into meaningful expressions. With an expanded philosophy, Femme Hommage brought together 19 Philippine and six international artists, whose illuminating creations span nearly five decades, from 1977 to the present.

Presented as part of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s fiftieth anniversary, the showcase featured drawings, prints, paintings, collages, and sculptures. Even included were videos and mixed-media creations. These offer personal narratives, reflections on womanhood, and glimpses into evolving cultural values.

I initially dropped by the depository to interview artists from the other halls. But this unexpected stopover caught my eye. I couldn’t resist, and these were some of the obras I pleasantly encountered.

Internationally celebrated Filipino artist Pacita Abad was represented by Self-Portrait, a serigraph on Arches paper which reflected the fearless individuality that defined her career.

Pioneering abstract artist Nena Saguil had her Illumination Triptych No. 1 to 3, delicate monochrome ink drawings which revealed her distinct visual language.

Social realist, post-cubist, and groundbreaking artist Anita Magsaysay-Ho contributed two prints: Confidences, a four-color lithograph praising the strength of Filipino women, and Gabi Leaves, a woodcut displaying her mastery beyond the realm of painting.

A favorite of many art collectors Betsy Westendorp, who painted the grand portrait of then-Infante Don Felipe, the future King Felipe VI of Spain. Her Untitled (Painting No. 335), demonstrated the elegance of pastel through a restrained and hazy, yet expressive abstraction.

Minimalist geometric specialist Rocio Urquijo de Zobel’s Mexico I used mixed media to capture impressions gathered from various travels and cross-cultural encounters.

World-renowned sculptor Impy Pilapil shared Ocean (Series), a glass and stone combination in an elongated form inspired by nature’s natural rhythms.

Paris-based Filipina printmaker Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi unveiled Homage 3 to Ambrogio Lorenzetti, a horizontal color-viscosity etching, an homage to the Italian Renaissance master, as it spotlighted her distinguished printmaking techniques.

Writer, collector and artist Susan Fetalvero-Roces had Water Spirits, a mixed-media composition inspired by folklore and cultural memory.

Lauded experimental-expressionistic creator Francesca Enriquez extends Untitled F, an intimate oil-on-paper composition where delicacy and emotional depth were balanced.

Multidisciplinary artist Anna Fer’s India at Ilustrada depicted a huge elegant portrait rendered in oil, as it featured her contemporary figurative approach.

Virginia Ty-Navarro, one of the Philippines’ accomplished sculptors — known for her Our Lady of EDSA Shrine along Ortigas — displayed Pearl, a soldered brass composition on woodblock, which emphasized her mastery of transforming metal into graceful organic forms.

The acclaimed Paz Abad Santos’ Tree of Life combined burlap, gugo, ropes, twigs, oil, acrylic, and varnish. Known for incorporating indigenous materials, she admired nature and Philippine heritage.

Feminist painter and art educator Sandra Torrijos brings up What Can We Do?, an oil-on-canvas composition exploring contemporary social questions through expressive figurative imagery.

Art educator Lillian Hwang’s acrylic painting Metamorphosis manifested change and growth, transformation and transition through layered forms and vibrant colors.

‘Crescent’ by Annette Rawlings, 1975 (hand-painted silkscreen on museum paper with pigment ink).American printmaker Annette Rawlings’ own Deltoid and Crescent hand-printed silkscreens proved her refined command of shape and layered textures.

An expert on the “aesthetics of poverty and the art of the people,” Brenda Fajardo showcased Baraha ng Buhay Pilipino VII–VIII–XIX–XX–Sasakyan–Paghuhukom, a watercolor-and-ink work, seemingly split into four quadrants, and weaved Filipino folklore, history, and social commentary through her signature tarot-inspired imagery.

One of the largest pieces belonged to curator, author, activist, and community leader Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, with Pasyong Bayan — the ideal encapsulation of decades of feminist advocacy. Its mixed media approach connects her own personal narratives with national issues of importance.

Though my visit was brief, these were just some of the masterpieces I had witnessed. There were more surprises in store at Femme Hommage, each with its own tale waiting to be shared with viewers.

I had promised myself to revisit — but its well-received run had ended. My loss! But knowing how esteemed these objets d’art are, I’ll relish a chance meeting them once again.

¡Enhorabuena to all the women artists!