SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco hosted an art exhibit of Filipino visual artist and street muralist Venazir Martinez, the artist’s first solo art exhibit in San Francisco, and the first exhibition to be held at the Consulate in 2024.
Held under the auspices of Sentro Rizal San Francisco and in partnership with the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of San Francisco (UPAASF), the Consulate co-organized the opening of the Hila-Bana: Espasyo Temporal II art exhibit at the Philippine Center in San Francisco’s Kalayaan Hall.
UPAASF Board Chair Eric Golangco and Board Member Sonia Delen graced the event, as well as members of the Filipino and art community in San Francisco.
In his remarks, Consul General Neil Ferrer said that the art exhibit is the Consulate’s prelude to the celebration of National Arts Month in the Philippines in February 2024.
Philippine Consul General Ferrer underscored the importance of holding exhibitions such as the Hila-Bana art exhibit saying, “not only because it gives our talented Filipino artists a platform to display their artistry and creativity to the world, but also because it allows us to amplify the story of the Filipino and of the Filipino American Community to a global audience.”
“I wish to commend and thank Venazir for generously sharing her creative talent with the community, and for tirelessly showcasing Filipino arts and culture to a wider public. I also express my gratitude to the UPAASF for its support to emerging Filipino artists such as Venazir, and for being a reliable partner in Philippine cultural promotion and diplomacy efforts in the Bay Area,” the Philippine Consul General said.
Hila-Bana—a compound of Filipino words hila or “to pull” and hilbanahan or “temporary stitching”—is a series of artistic reflections that delve into the complex tapestry of the Filipino people’s collective identity. It originated as Martinez’s thesis at UP Baguio and as a street art project in Baguio City, which challenged the public’s visual perception through cultural and ancestral heritage emblems that are unified by a red thread.
The Hila-Bana exhibition was first staged at Duke University in North Carolina in October 2023, in celebration of Filipino American History Month. The art exhibit ran at the Philippine Center until January 30.
