The Gallery of Giving: An Online Art Auction To Support The Education of Filipino Women

Proceeds of Galeria Paloma’s auction will benefit the scholarship grant program of U-Go, which helps women from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds pursue higher education. 

In so many ways, women are the backbone of Filipino families, which is why they need access to proper education that leads to gainful employment. This is especially true for those in underserved communities, who don’t often have the resources or tools to pursue these basic needs. The more women receive education, the further empowered they can be, and the better they’re able to support themselves and their loved ones. This is the idea that drives Galeria Paloma’s upcoming online auction, The Gallery of Giving, in partnership with the Ayala Foundation and U-Go. 

Taking place from March 16, 2024 to April 10, 2024, Galleria Paloma will be donating the proceeds of the auction to Ayala Foundation in support of U-Go, a scholarship grant program for deserving but underprivileged women. 

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Education is Key

U-Go’s mission is to provide scholarships to women from low-income countries, including the Philippines. The organization believes that helping a single girl finish a quality education can not only support her dreams, but also lead to meaningful employment that can help her family escape the cycle of poverty. This causes a chain reaction that can help entire communities. From its initial batch of 120 students, U-Go aims to expand to 1,000 students in the medium term.

“I have been asked, ‘Why U-Go, and why education?’” shares Mariana Zobel de Ayala, senior vice president for leasing and hospitality of Ayala Land, Inc. and global board director of U-Go, about this personal advocacy. 

“I really believe–and am very much aligned with the Ayala Foundation’s vision–that access to education could be a meaningful equalizer for Filipinos. I’m excited by the possibilities of what quality education can bring, not just for women in the country, not just for their families and communities, but also in bringing the most empowered economy forward.”

Zobel de Ayala continues: “We are proud to be in the communities of 410 women that have been awarded U-Go scholarships so far. Our aim is to more than double that in the next few years–and this is a very special opportunity by Galeria Paloma that will help us make that dream a reality.”

The Gallery of Giving

The auction is also a fitting way to celebrate the country’s National Women’s Month, and an apt project for Galeria Paloma, as many women are integral parts of its history and existence. 

“As a gallery run by three women directors, whose mother was once a gallery director herself but found her calling as a steadfast educator, U-Go was a cause that we knew we could champion from the start,” says Kimberly Rocha-Delgado, co-director of Galeria Paloma. “We are very grateful to U-Go for giving us the opportunity to make a contribution to the cause by doing what we do.”

Galeria Paloma is more than equipped to oversee the charity auction, being a multi-genre art gallery and art advisory firm with over twenty years of professional experience. Their strong lineup of artists for The Gallery of Giving is a testament to its commitment in supporting U-Go and Ayala Foundation’s cause, as well as encouraging innovation and creativity in the effort to offer fresh perspectives in the experience of art. 

A Lineup of Incredible Works

The auction will offer works of art by masters like sculptor Julie Lluch, painter Onib Olmedo, and esteemed contemporary artists such as National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Soler Santos, Bjorn Calleja, CCP Thirteen Artists Awardee Ernest Concepcion, Carina Santos, Isabel Echevarria, Lina Llaguno-Ciani, Aba Dalena, Martin and Barbie Honasan, Basti Artadi, Sarah de Veyra-Buyco and Hamill Buyco, Carlos, and many others.

A section of the auction is made up of notable digital artists like Luis Buenaventura, Skye Nicolas, AJ Dimarucot, and Isaiah Cacnio, with another section featuring emerging artists. Learn more about some of the prominent featured artists below:

Julie Lluch

Esteemed sculptor Julie Lluch often incorporates feminist themes and a distinctive, powerful point-of-view on the female experience in her pieces. Her auction piece “Georgia Lily” is a homage to feminist artist and icon Georgia o’Keefe, building on o’Keefe’s abstract ‘flower paintings’ through Lluch’s signature sculptural forms. Through sculpture,  Lluch further underscores o’Keefe’s themes, magnifying a paradox where the piece singly embodies both fragility and strength.

Onib Olmedo 

Expressionist art legend Onib Olmedo’s “The Widow,” which was previously part of the artist’s retrospective at the Ayala Museum, is a poignant and haunting portrayal of longing. His other work, “Portrait,” a watercolor artwork (recto) features a back-to-back pairing with an unusual subject, “Flowers” (verso).

Skye Nicolas

Among the notable digital art offerings is Skye Nicolas’ “Don’t You Worry About the Situation [WM-17].” In Nicolas’ signature pixel paintings, the artist reduces remixed images to their essential structure, streamlining graphic elements into nebulous shimmering pixels dancing across the digital canvas. 

Declarative statements glide across the screen, serving as an internal dialogue and a crucial visual detail that completes the digital painting’s overall composition. This artwork comes with a unique, ready-made piece: an original Sony WM-F17 Walkman with a mix tape that Nicolas compiled himself.

Luis Buenaventura

Also among the unique digital works are those by Luis Buenaventura (who goes by the pseudonym “Cryptopop”), one of the artists of Curio Cards—the first work of Non-Fungible Token art minted on the Ethereum blockchain and the first cryptocurrency lot that Christie’s has ever offered in its history. 

“Handmade” is a series of two artworks showing Buenaventura’s trademark engagement with current technological advancement. At their core is a conversation about whether artificial intelligence could possibly replace humans in the creation of art. Predominantly featuring hands that the artist drew, “Handmade” spotlights a running joke among traditional artists and AI-proponents alike: the common inability to render hands (at least in AI’s current iterations). 

Ken Samudio and Seph Bagasao

Also on auction is the collaboration ‘Plenteous,’ a fully handmade chair made from vintage and recycled materials, including vintage beads, fully handmade as a collaboration between the respective ateliers of Vogue Italia talent Ken Samudio and Seph Bagasao, a designer also known for his concern with environmental and ethical issues within the fashion industry.  

JJ Jiao

Fine jewelry by noted designer JJ Jiao will also be auctioned, each piece showcasing her signature filigree patterns and intricate detailing.

Interested bidders can view the lots at ArtistSpace, Ground Level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, from March 13, 2024 to March 26 2024. The gallery reception will be on March 16, 2024 from 2pm to 4pm at ArtistSpace, with the online auction running from March 16, 2024 to April 10, 2024 at www.galeriapaloma.com/auction. 

For queries on the exhibit and auction, to assist interested bidders, or to donate directly to U-Go, please contact the gallery at +63 917 822 5673, or email [email protected].

Photos courtesy of Galeria Paloma.