There’s a notable lack of women artists on the forefront of art studies. Some women artists like Frida Kahlo, Margaret Keane, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Yayoi Kusama have made waves for the feminist art movement, but there are fewer women brought up when it comes to discussing the classical scene. This comes as the result of centuries of misogyny that either barred or overshadowed the work of women artists. 

In the Philippines’ art movement, the same could be observed as much of the early art movement in the country was dominated by men. This didn’t dissuade early Filipina artists from giving their all and rising through the ranks. Hoping to shed light into how Filipina artists poured the same amount of brushwork and creativity, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila’s latest exhibition curated by Patrick Flores, “Material Inspirations: Anita Magsaysay-Ho and Nena Saguil,” focuses on the works of the two Filipina artists and the effort that goes into the artists’ work. 

Anita was the sole woman in Victorio Edades’ famed Thirteen Moderns list that included the likes of H.R. Ocampo, Vicente Manansala, and Cesar Legaspi. She had worked under the guidance of icons like Fernando Amorsolo and Fabian de la Rosa. Anita made use of the egg tempera medium, a process that requires preciseness and patience due to how quick the paint can dry. Working with such a medium is worth it in the end for the bright colors and luminous effect it leaves on the finished work. Though some might dismiss Anita as simply the “female version of Amorsolo,” to do so would be an injustice as her style, while similar to Amorsolo’s, takes a different direction. The way the bodies of her subjects are framed shows a somewhat stretched anatomy, allowing users to appreciate the exaggerated features and drawing the eyes to various elements in her paintings. 

Meanwhile, Nena’s works give a different vibe altogether. Nena is a trailblazer not only in the local scene, but even as far out in Europe where her works were displayed at various galleries in France, Italy, Spain, and more. What makes her work stand out is its hypnotic style that utilizes mostly ink to create out-of-this-world surrealist imagery. A closer look at her work reveals some of the pencil marks that hint at just how precise each stroke of her pen was at the time she worked on her pieces. Majority of her works on display are untitled, allowing viewers to interpret them in any way they please. There are also photographs of her in Paris taken by National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose on display.

“Material Inspirations: Anita Magsaysay-Ho and Nena Saguil” runs at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in BGC until Dec. 8.