The Cultural Center of the Philippines has announced the winners of its prestigious 13 Artists Awards 2024, which aims to highlight talents who have shaped the contemporary art scene in the country.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) proudly announced the recipients of the prestigious 13 Artists Awards for 2024. The awards program honors young visual artists whose innovative practices have contributed to the development and expansion of contemporary Philippine art.
A special press conference was held to announce the talents who made their mark in today’s art scene, all of whom specialize in different disciplines across a variety of mediums. The awardees for this year are: Catalina Africa, Denver Garza, Russ Ligtas, Ella Mendoza, Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, Issay Rodriguez, Luis Antonio Santos, Joshua Serafin, Jel Suarez, Tekla Tamoria, Derek Tumala, Vien Valencia, and Liv Vinluan.
“Every three years, this award identifies contemporary voices who, in the words of the founding vision, ‘restructure, restrengthen, and renew art-making and art thinking to lend vitality and relevance to Philippine art, carving new pathways to the future,’” explains CCP president Kaye Tinga in her opening speech during the program. “Through the 13 Artists Award, we have a living survey of Philippine modern art — not as a linear progression, but one that goes in countless directions as artists engage with their materials, their communities, and their moment in history, while speaking across time.”
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Changing The Contemporary Landscape
Named after the “13 Moderns” of Philippine art—a group of contemporary artists that included Victorio Edades, Anita Magsaysay Ho, Vicente Manansala, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Arsenio Capili, Demetrio Diego, Cesar Legaspi, Diosdado Lorenzo, Hernando Ocampo, Galo Ocampo, Bonifacio Cristobal, Ricarte Puruganan, and Jose Pardo—the 13 Artists Awards was established by former CCP director Roberto Chabet back in 1970.
Held every three years, the award has highlighted the unique voices of artists who stand as some of the country’s most lauded, such as Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera (who was part of the awards’ inaugural batch), Santiago Bose, and Imelda Cajipe Endaya, among many others.
As with past awards, a culminating event in the form of a group exhibition will also be taking place in 2025. For the 2024 awardees, it will be held at the National Museum of the Philippines, as announced by museum director Jeremy Barnes, who graced the event with his team.
Beyond the accolades, awardees will be receiving support to help them cultivate their artistic practices. These include a cash grant to defray the cost of materials for producing new work for the group exhibition; a specially commissioned trophy designed by a 13 Artists Awardee; and participation in CCP’s public programs of discussions, lectures, workshops, and other activities.
A Thorough Selection Process
The 2024 selection committee was made up of former recipients of the 13 Artists Awards, namely Phyllis Zaballero (1978), Antipas Delotavo (1990), Buen Calubayan (2009), and Wawi Navarroza (2012), along with CCP Visual and Museum Division (VAMD) officer-in-charge Rica Estrada Uson. Each member brought their own unique perspective to the deliberation process, representing the aesthetic sensibilities of their respective generations and practices.
The awardees were carefully selected out of 108 nominations through a meticulous and rigorous evaluation process, which began when the nominations opened in May 2024. The CCP VAMD received 82 submissions from various art groups, museum and gallery directors, curators, art critics, art educators, and former 13 Artists Awardees, from all over the Philippines.
Considering a wide range of factors such as artistic innovation, integrity, and the ability to engage with contemporary themes, each nominee’s body of work was assessed for their responsiveness to contemporary realities and their contribution to the advancement of the visual arts in the Philippines.
The selection committee also ensured that all nominated artists have demonstrated sustained artistic activity, evidenced by a track record of individual exhibitions and group shows over at least the past three years. Ultimately, the 13 awardees were chosen not only for their artistic excellence but also for their potential to influence and inspire the future of Philippine art, reflecting the CCP’s commitment to recognizing and nurturing exceptional talent in the local art community.
For more information about the CCP Thirteen Artists Awards, visit the 13 Artists website and CCP website, and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube.
Photos courtesy of the CCP.
