Rodel Tapaya, Filipino Grand Prize Winner of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize

CEBU, Philippines - The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation are proud to announce that artist Rodel Tapaya from the Philippines has been awarded the Grand Prize (SGD 45,000) of the APB Foundation Signature Art Prize 2011, for his winning artwork Baston ni Kabunian, Bilang Pero di Mabilang (Cane of Kabunian, numbered but cannot be counted).

His winning artwork employs imagery from Filipino folklore juxtaposed with elements of modern day Philippines, commenting on pre-colonial myths, stories and cultural heritage while also commenting on current issues such as environmental destruction.

The APB Foundation Signature Art Prize recognises artists for outstanding artwork created in the preceding three years and encourages the development of contemporary art across the Asia Pacific region.

On winning the award, Tapaya said, "I am extremely happy to have received the Grand Prize of the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize. It's a very prestigious award and I'm honoured to have been nominated alongside 14 other very talented finalists and to be chosen as the winner by such a distinguished and well-respected panel of judges. This award will no doubt be a boost to my practice and is a great encouragement for me to continue producing good work."

Tapaya's artwork was selected as the winning entry from 15 artworks shortlisted from the 130 nominations received from 24 countries and territories across Asia Pacific. The winning entry was assessed by the international jury panel based on the following criteria: strength of the idea and concept, creative and interesting use of medium and material, technique, expression and form, artistic insight and interpretation, imagination and originality and actual installed artwork. The other shortlisted artists are from Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

According to a statement from the jury panel, "Rodel Tapaya's Baston ni Kabunian, Bilang Pero di Mabilang (Cane of Kabunian, numbered but cannot be counted) is a compelling and monumental-scale work. With its multiple narratives and diverse allegorical references, this stunning mural-sized painting embodies a vibrant strain in contemporary art from the Asia-Pacific region. While Tapaya does not shy away from drawing on the folklore of his native region, his is neither a naïve nor self-exoticising practice. The artist is audacious in his use of the Philippine mural tradition as well as Latin American magic realism and Bosch-like phantasmagoria. Anchored in a postcolonial setting but with far-reaching universal relevance, the work will surely provoke discussion about emerging aesthetic tendencies in Asia-Pacific. Together with the three Jurors' Choice Award winners, the prize-winning works are ground-breaking in their negotiation of cultural heritage and contemporary forms of expression. They are all worthy of recognition as being among the best art works from the region."

The triennial APB Foundation Signature Art Prize is a hallmark of distinction awarded to artists whose artworks represent a significant development in contemporary visual art in the Asia Pacific region. The award series is the result of a 15-year partnership announced in October 2007 between SAM and APB Foundation to develop and promote contemporary visual art in the Asia Pacific region. APB Foundation doubled its Prize funding this year from $2.25 million for five editions to $4.45 million and expanded the Prize to include nominations from the whole Asia Pacific region. Details can be found on www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/signatureartprize.  (FREEMAN)