From canvas to fabric

In celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of National Artist for Visual Arts Carlos “Botong” Francisco, clothing brand Freeway immortalized his artworks by taking inspiration from them to be the design of its Holiday collection.

Born on Nov. 4, 1912 in Angono, Rizal, Botong gained prominence for reviving single-handedly the forgotten art of mural. He did not only revive it, he also remained its most distinguished practitioner for almost three decades.  He was one of the first Filipino modernists who revolutionized Philippine art. 

He spent his college years at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts.  He did not finish his degree and was forced to work. He eventually became a professor at the University of Santo Tomas School of Architecture and Fine Arts. He was posthumously declared National Artist in 1973.

His life and works were recently celebrated at the launch of Freeway’s National Artist Collectors’ Series at The Row in Glorietta 1. The 25-piece Holiday collection showcased tailored dresses in woven poplins and soft materials like chiffon, a range of silhouettes of casual and corporate tops, plus gift items like accessories, watches, tote bags and more. The collection came in vibrant colors with attractive packaging and a biography tag in each item. 

The launch opened with a very impressive art exhibition by Michael Blanco’s Academy of Artists. The exhibit had young talented artists from Angono — ages six to 12  — who did on-the-spot painting and sketching during cocktails.

This was followed by the event proper hosted by Cherie Gil who first introduced an inspiring AVP about Botong Francisco. After the video presentation, the collection immortalizing the artist’s paintings was showcased in a fashion show. The original paintings that inspired each clothing piece served as a colorful backdrop on the LED screen onstage. It was marvelous to witness how, from canvas to fabric, Botong’s timeless paintings were translated into sublimation graphic tees, work shirts, tailored dresses, casual tops, weekend wear and many other accessories.

To shed more light into the human side of Botong, Cherie interviewed special guests like National Archives executive director Ino Manalo and Botong’s grandson, Carlos “Totong” Francisco II. Ino and Totong both shared interesting stories and trivia about Botong and his big influence in Philippine art and culture. Another guest who joined the art experts during the interview was Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, a passionate lover of art and fashion.

Guests enjoyed cocktails and took home a special edition tote bag from the Holiday collection.

Freeway announced that there would be a series of events and celebrations throughout the year to be staged by the organizations and institutions under the Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco Centennial Consortium including the Angono Artists Association, Ayala Museum, Blanco Family Museum, Botong Francisco Family, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Far Eastern University, Freeway: National Artist Collectors Series, Lopez Museum, Municipality of Angono, Museo ng BSP, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Philippine Art Awards, SM Malls, University of Santo Tomas, UP Vargas Museum and the Yuchengco Museum.

(To know more about the collection, visit www.Freewayonline.com.ph, Facebook.com/FreewayOnline or follow Twitter @FreewayOnline.)

(For inquiries and program updates, e-mail [email protected] or check out Facebook: Carlos “Botong” Francisco Centennial.)