Featuring the works of Fernando Zóbel, The Art House and Ateneo Art Gallery’s new collection of gifts are fun, functional, and accessible love letters to culture, travel, and the arts.
Tracing the history of the Ateneo Art Gallery, which is recognized today as the country’s first museum of Philippine Modern Art, it’s impossible not to encounter the name of late artist and collector Fernando Zóbel. Theirs is an inextricable relationship, as Zóbel donated an impressive collection of works from both local and international greats to help jumpstart the gallery in 1960.
Paying tribute to this legacy, The Ateneo Art Gallery announced an exciting collaboration with The Art House, an emerging multi-channel platform for Philippine creatives: a range of unique merchandise that honors the late artist. The launch coincides with the gallery’s current exhibition A Synergy of Ventures, which highlights the extensive and precious collection of pieces given by Zóbel.
“Through gifting, travel and novelty items, we endeavor to educate a younger audience. This also opens new ways for us to engage with communities,” shares Carlo Pineda, founder of The Art House.
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The Man Of Many Fascinations
It was during 2024 when Pineda began to explore how The Art House might be able to collaborate with the country’s first-of-its-kind gallery. At the time, the museum was planning for Fernando Zóbel’s Birth Centennial, with some works of Zóbel set to travel to the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, as well as the National Gallery in Singapore, on top of the special exhibitions happening at both the Ateneo Art Gallery and Ayala Museum. So, it was only appropriate that the series of merchandise center on the man who started it all, aptly titled the Fernando Zóbel Centennial Collection.
It’s crucial to note that Zóbel’s other interests enriched and informed his art practice. He was fond of travel and research, often sketching his observations and learnings in notebooks with the fastidious curiosity of a scholar. These glimpses into his interior world aren’t as mainstream as his abstract expressionist and modernist paintings, but they’re equally essential pieces in his oeuvre. This is exactly why the Ateneo Art Gallery and The Art House chose them as focal points for their collection, particularly the sketches depicting his travels around the northern region of the Philippines.
“Zóbel left behind many notebooks containing drawings. Most of them are now in Spain, but there is one notebook in the AAG that showcases drawings from his Ilocos travels,” expounds Ma. Victoria “Boots” Herrera, Ateneo Art Gallery Director and Chief Curator.
Herrera emphasizes specific sketches by Zóbel featured in the Centennial Collection, including Batac Funeral, “Glan Soldier,” “Cabugao,” “Paoay Church,” Sta. Lucia, and Dr. Buenaventura. These sketches reveal another facet of the artist that was dedicated to furthering academic research on Philippine art and culture. They also underscore his significant contributions to the early publication—both as author and supporter—documenting these studies.
Functional And Memorable Gifts
The Centennial Collection is now the newest set of tokens that university students and gallery visitors can purchase to commemorate their trip (or use as easy yet meaningful gift options for the approaching holiday season). At once practical and visually appealing, it’s clear that a lot of thought was put into the type of items that would be released. These include portable automatic umbrellas, big Japanese umbrellas, laptop stands, mobile stands, coasters, and place mats, to name a few, all featuring Zóbel’s evocative sketches and paintings.
“It took us several months to develop the products and refine them. We wanted a compact collection that would echo Zóbel’s modern aesthetic,” Pineda shares. More than just functional items, these merchandise are accessible gateways to appreciating Philippine art, which is why quality craftsmanship and a respect for the artistic works (which includes proper citation) were key elements in the production process.
“Our products are proudly Philippine made,” adds Pineda. “True to our DNA, we are always finding ways to involve the local community into this circular ecosystem—this is especially true even for our merchandise.”
In a press conference, Herrera stated that the heirs of Zóbel have agreed that any royalties from the merchandise will be given back to the gallery for the upkeep of the collection. This ensures that many more visitors get the opportunity to appreciate various masterpieces in their best form—which is a pretty fitting way to celebrate a man who dedicated much of his life to cultivating a thriving Philippine art scene.
The Zóbel Centennial Collection can be found at the Ateneo Art Gallery, Soledad V Pangilinan Arts Wing, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. For more information, follow The Art House on Instagram @thearthouse.
Photos courtesy of The Art House (unless specified).
