The College’s Center for Campus Art (CCA) announced on Sept. 2 the postponement of their latest exhibit’s physical launch on their Facebook page. The exhibit, titled "The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus,” is dedicated to the life and works of National Artist for Literature Cirilo F. Bautista. Although the actual exhibit will be opened by January 2021, CCA has taken the online platform in the meantime.
Launched last Sept. 17, “The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus” brings Bautista’s imagery and words to life in the form of a fresh, brutalist website. Packed with work by artists and the College’s own students alike, this virtual exhibit pays homage to Bautista’s life and legacy by telling his story alongside his writing.
The man behind the words
Bautista was an internationally-acclaimed poet, essayist, fictionist and educator who has greatly shaped the country’s literary scene during his career of over four decades. Among his most notable works include Summer Sun (1963), The Cave and Other Poems (1963), and The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus—Archipelago (1970), Telex Moon, (1981) and Sunlight on Broken Stones (1999)—which the exhibit was named after.
His works have garnered much acclaim; including the Makata ng Taon, awarded by the Komisyon ng mga Wika ng Pilipinas in 1993. Furthermore, Bautista was included in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards Hall of Fame garnering nine wins in poetry, essay and fiction categories, both written in English and Filipino. His other accolades include the Pablo Roman Prize for the Novel, the Centennial Prize, and the Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Awards, among others. In 2014, Bautista was raised to the Order of National Artists by then President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.
Aside from being a profound writer, Bautista had a passion for education, devoting much of his career to teaching young writers and inspiring nationalism in the country’s literary arts scene. He was also a professor of literature at the De La Salle University in Manila, and was instrumental in bringing the literary arts to a wider audience. He held and funded numerous workshops around the country and was also behind the founding of several writing organizations such as the Baguio Writers’ Group and the Philippine Literary Arts Council.
Homage to a formator
With the launch of this exhibit website, young Filipinos can be introduced to Bautista’s work in new ways. This website includes a video titled “House of Words,” a digital model which combines a reimagining of Bautista’s home in Mayon Street, Quezon City, and words from The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus poems, tied together with a motif of the exhibit’s striking color palette of blue, pink, and yellow.
Along with a timeline of his life and works and interview recordings, visual interpretations, reimaginings, and zines inspired by Bautista’s work are also featured. Works by artists such as Thirteen Artists 2018 awardee Doktor Karayom (Russell Trinidad), abstract artist and architect Nel Banaag and intermedia artist Mark Salvatus are showcased alongside works from the College’s own students, bringing together multiple generations of creatives influenced by Bautista.
Delve into the world of literature exhibit, The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus, by visiting its website here.
