Like an Ejaculation

From top: Clay vagina by Julie Lluch; clay monster by Bathma Kaew-Ngok; National Artist Bencab with Wig Tysmans; collectors Hetty and Paulino Que with Duemilla gallery owner Sylvana Diaz.

It was over in what seemed like a flash. Yesterday's opening of The Ring of Fire, an exhibition of contemporary works of Southeast Asian ceramic artists, commenced with the smashing of a clay palayok filled with sampaguita. Then there was a dramatic crescendo of Edru Abraham's magnificent Kontra-Gapi band or Kontemporaryong Gamelang Pilipino, which fuses traditional kulintang music with electric guitars (bass played by crush-ng-bayan Ira Cruz), modern drum and synthesizer. Then the guests thronged the exhibit, enthralled by the range and artistry of the works in clay. Then it was all over. It was frenetic and celebratory.

Now that's a show.

Guests included National Artists Bencab and Arturo Luz, with respective partners Annie Sarthou and Tessie Luz, poetess Virginia Moreno, master photographer Neal Oshima, writer and style icon Karla Delgado Yulo, photographer Wig Tysmans, Ateneo Art Gallery director Richie Lerma, Lopez Museum director Cedie Lopez Vargas, collector Paulino Que with wife Hetty, Duemilla Gallery owner Sylvana Diaz, plus all the ceramic artists who participated in the exhibit, notably Jon and Tessie Pettyjohn, Hadrian and Camille Mendoza, Julie Lluch and Pablo Capati, among the Philippines based.

The show runs up to October 4 only, so plan on going soon.