Public exhibition of 19th Century Filipino Paintings

Kamarin Art Gallery and Savage Mind Bookshop in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Caceres through the Museo Seminario del Conciliar de Nueva Caceres will launch the Mariano Asuncion and the Juan & Jose Camacho: An Art Restoration Project & Public Exhibition on August 4, 2022 at 6:00PM. The event will be attended by the Archbishop of Caceres, Most Rev. Rolando Tria Tirona, OCD, DD.

Mariano Asuncion (1802-1885) is considered as one of the 19th century master painters in the colonial Philippines. Two of his works, San Antonio Abad and San Buenaventura will be put on display during this public exhibition.

Father and son, Juan & Jose Camacho are local artists from Naga City. As painters, they were commissioned by the local church to do portraitures of bishops and popes and other religious icons which are considered as important cultural and religious patrimony of the Bikol region. Fr. Nunilon Arnold Bancaso who heads the archdiocesan commission for arts and culture is hoping that by putting these important artworks to the public, it will generate a renewed interest among the Bikolanos. Further, Fr. Bancaso hopes that they will be able to generate enough funds that will cover the restoration projects of these important artworks which include the San Antonio Abad and San Buenaventura by Asuncion and the Rosa Mystica, San Vicente De Paul, portraits of Caceres Bishop Pedro Santos, DD and Bishop Francisco Reyes, DD attributed to the Camachos. The painter of the portrait of Bishop Francisco Gainza, OP, DD, has yet to be identified.

The exhibition period runs from August 4 to September 30, 2022. There will also be scheduled lectures on art, heritage, church history and art conservation and restorations.