The 38th Joya Awards and Exhibit

Now on its 38th year, this year's Jose Joya Awards did not have an all-encompassing theme hovering over its participants' artistic submissions - taking a proactive approach in encouraging them to explore the bounds of their creative individuality, apart from testing their artistic ingenuity and creative tenacity.

Organized by the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu and the UP Fine Arts Students Organization (FASO), the announcement was held in conjunction with the opening of the 39th Jose Joya Annual Students' Exhibit, which is currently ongoing at the second level of the Ayala Center Cebu's Annex Wing and to run until March 2.

Gathering more than 60 works made by UP Cebu's Fine Arts students, the exhibit showcases all of the art pieces that were submitted to the competition.

In 1976 when National Artist for Visual Arts Jose T. Joya was the Dean of the College of Fine Arts in UP Diliman, the artist-educator initiated the establishment of a Fine Arts Program in UP Cebu.

Students who were part of the program exhibited their works in public towards the end of that year, which became a competition the following year.

Since then, the annually held art competition and exhibition has produced a number of top artistic talents, including artists Dennis Montera, Gabriel Abellana, Jon Unson and more.

Showcasing watercolors, acrylic art pieces, oil paintings and mixed-media compositions, a number of the works presented in this year's Jose Joya Annual Students' Exhibit were also made with non-traditional mediums like wax and wood.

From narrative paintings to thought-provoking abstract expressionist pieces, the exhibit easily stands out as one of 2014's notable art shows - given how it says something about what we have to expect from today's on-the-rise artistic talents in the days ahead.

The Finalists

and Winners of the

38th National Artist Jose Joya Awards

Winners:

1st Prize:

Ferdinand Aragon

2nd Prize:

Christina Paug

3rd Prize:

Niniane Emrys Sojor

Finalists:

Kevin Cabrera

Kriztel Camalongay

Ed Brian Lazarraga

Richie Pulvera

Wyndelle Remonde

Hannah Sojor

Hannah Ruth Suico