Homage - An Exhibit of Prints in Honor of Manuel Rodriguez Sr

CEBU, Philippines -  As an exhibit, Homage - An Exhibit of Prints in Honor of Manuel Rodriguez Sr bears a multi-faceted façade, one which paints a tableau that is difficult to put into words, but is easy to grasp when seen by one's own eyes.

Presented by Cebu Artists Incorporated in cooperation with the University of San Carlos, Homage is, first, an exhibit that pays tribute to the "Father of Philippine Printmaking", Manuel Rodriguez Sr.

Second, the exhibit stands to be an awareness campaign about printmaking as an artistic medium, and third it effectively proves that Cebu's artists are not complacent when it comes to their artistic scope, dynamic in adapting to other mediums which are beyond their respective set fortes.

As an artist, Manuel Rodriguez Sr has long held the distinction of being the "Father of Philippine Printmaking", a title which had been bequeathed to him with all its deserving accolades.

Born in 1915 in Cebu City, Rodriguez is one of the forerunners of printmaking in the Philippines, the first Filipino to have his prints exhibited in biennial shows held overseas, and is also the founder of the Philippine Association of Printmakers in 1968.

Initially a painter, Rodriguez's affair with printmaking began in the late 1930s. By the 1950s, Rodriguez went all the way in his focus on printmaking, leading to his role in contributing to the development of printmaking in the Philippines, amidst critiques noting that it was a "dead medium", something which Rodriguez eventually proved to be a false assumption.

As an artform, printmaking is essentially a process that involves printing in the creation of artworks, popular derivatives of which would include etchings, lithographs and woodcuts.

Far from a simple matter of crafting out a "base" then create multiple copies of prints, Homage clearly illustrates how complex printmaking as an artform can be, collecting the print medium-based works of 21 of Cebu's established masters, who had veered away from their comfort zone-mediums as tribute to the printmaking legacy lived and led by Rodriguez.

As an exhibit, Homage doesn't take a cheeky translation of the word, but does justice to the artform spearheaded by the "Father of Philippine Printmaking".

As an exhibit, Homage - An Exhibit of Prints in Honor of Manuel Rodriguez Sr bears a multi-faceted façade, one which paints a tableau that is difficult to put into words, but is easy to grasp when seen by one's own eyes.

Homage - An Exhibit of Prints in Honor of Manuel Rodriguez Sr will be on exhibit until December 21, 2012 in the Art Center in SM City Cebu. All of Cebu is invited to visit the show and witness the dynamic appeal which has defined printmaking as a unique artform over the years.