The Mary each artist found

One subject. Thirteen artists. Fifty-six paintings. The result is not repetition, but revelation.

Opening on 10 September at the SM Mall of Asia Sanctuary, Maria Regina: Grace in Blue — Portraits in Peace brings together 13 contemporary Filipino artists whose lives have unfolded in remarkably different worlds — law, banking, business, philanthropy, education, writing and the visual arts. Asked to paint the same woman, each discovered a different Mary.

Created over months of weekly sessions at Sunshine Place in Makati, the exhibition became more than an art project. It evolved into a shared spiritual journey, with each artist bringing to the canvas a lifetime of memories, faith, questions, and personal devotion.

The fundraiser, initiated by the Marian organization Maria Regina Advocati, will help build an Adoration Chapel at Saint Francis Church in Mandaluyong and support the rehabilitation of the Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Quezon City.

At the heart of the exhibition is Fidel Sarmiento, president of the Art Association of the Philippines, whose three-painting trilogy reimagines Mary through the enduring image of the Filipina mother.

Rather than depicting the familiar European Madonna, Sarmiento gives Mary morena features and places her amid Philippine textiles and familiar local landscapes.

One canvas honors the praying mother whose quiet faith sustains the family. Another celebrates the guardian of tradition who keeps devotion alive at home and in church. The third portrays the silent caregiver whose sacrifices define unconditional love.

“She is not distant in a cathedral,” Sarmiento says. “She is in the home, in the simbahan and in the fields.”

For lead artist Carol Llanillo, the project fulfilled a longtime dream that had quietly grown over decades. A lawyer by profession and a painter for more than 40 years, Llanillo was invited by Maria Regina Advocati to create 20 Marian paintings inspired by the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“I began with Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima,” she recalls. “Each painting is a visual prayer. I hope whoever sees these images — Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and even non-believers — will find peace in their hearts.”

For Conchitina Bernardo, the journey meant abandoning familiar artistic choices. Instead of traditional gold leaf, she turned to silver leaf, graphite and black acrylic, creating quieter, more contemplative images.

Although she says she has never considered herself especially Marian in her devotion, Bernardo sees Mary as an intercessor and a model of unconditional love.

“She could also be gazing at me with unconditional love,” Bernardo says of her painting Mary’s Loving Gaze. “This gives me a sense of comfort and peace.”

Several artists found themselves stepping into unfamiliar territory. Loida Tan painted portraits for the first time.

“Each Marian image seemed to require its own style,” Tan says. “The experience taught me to explore different techniques while staying true to my own voice.”

Len Torres Fernandez admits she initially felt intimidated by the assignment. Only after she stopped thinking of Mary as a distant religious figure and began seeing her as a universal mother did the paintings begin to flow.

“Painting Mama Mary eventually felt like a meditation,” she says.

For Rica Rosario Ong, inspiration came after a visit to Ephesus in Turkey, traditionally believed to be the site of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s final earthly home.

“My devotion to Mama Mary has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Ong says, describing the pilgrimage as an act of thanksgiving for prayers answered in God’s time.

Eduardo Ramos expresses emotion through luminous layers of cobalt, turquoise, teal and gold, with shadow serving as the ground from which light gradually emerges.

“My paintings reflect my experiences, my appreciation for beauty, and my continuing journey of discovering who I am as an artist,” he says.

For Erlinda Flores, the exhibition became an act of humility. “Mary inspires me because of her closeness to her Son,” she says. “My technique is still in a developing stage.”

Vicky Pollisco interprets the Madonna and Child through sweeping ribbons of color and abstract movement. Her Modern Madonna presents Mary not only as a sacred figure, but also as an enduring symbol of every mother’s love, protection, tenderness and quiet strength.

For Joyce Ashworth, Mary’s story unfolds through geometry rather than realism. Working in successive layers of acrylic, Ashworth builds, scrapes and repaints each canvas, allowing earlier layers to remain visible. Her overlapping geometric planes symbolize the joys, sorrows, and challenges that shaped Mary’s life, eventually coming together into a unified whole.

Robert Fernandez, known for bridging classical realism and contemporary expression, says the Marian series challenged him in unexpected ways.

“It was my first time painting Mama Mary in my career,” he says. “Although I was balancing work and family, I felt guided throughout the process.”

For Vicky Lopez, one painting of the Madonna and Child was never enough. Although the exhibition required only three works, she completed five. “Once you start painting her, it inspires you to keep on painting,” she says.

Lopez believes Marian devotion comes naturally to many Filipinos. “We turn to her for everything — from storms and troubles to the most difficult moments in our lives.”

Taken together, the exhibition becomes far more than 56 paintings of the same subject. It becomes 13 testimonies of faith.

Some artists discovered new techniques. Others rediscovered prayer. Some challenged themselves artistically, while others found peace before the canvas.

Together, their works affirm that although artistic styles continue to evolve, Mary’s story continues to speak across generations.

In every painting, she appears differently. Yet in every painting, she remains unmistakably the same.

Maria Regina: Grace in Blue — Portraits in Peace runs from 10 September to 7 October at the SM Mall of Asia Sanctuary.