Galeria Paloma presents "The Gallery of Giving," an art exhibition and fundraising auction at ArtistSpace, Ground Level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City. Featuring artworks, objets d’art, and jewelry by renowned Filipino masters and contemporary artists. Proceeds support Ayala Foundation's U-Go scholarship grant program for underprivileged young women, in celebration of Women’s Month.

The event will commence with an onsite exhibition and viewing from March 13 to March 26. The online/silent auction will continue until April 10 online at www.galeriapaloma.com/auction.

Ayala Foundation, Inc., is the implementing partner of U-Go in the Philippines. U-Go provides scholarships to young women from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds to help them as they pursue higher education and gain meaningful employment. By nurturing talent and providing access to quality education, U-Go aims to break the cycle of poverty and empower their scholars to become agents of change in their families and communities. From its initial batch of 120 students, U-Go aims to expand to 1,000 students in the medium term.

"I have been asked, 'Why U-Go, and why education,'" shares Mariana Zobel de Ayala, Senior Vice President for Leasing and Hospitality of Ayala Land, Inc. and Global Board Director of U-Go, about this personal advocacy. "I really believe–and am very much aligned with the Ayala Foundation’s vision–that access to education could be a meaningful equalizer for Filipinos. I’m excited by the possibilities of what quality education can bring, not just for women in the country, not just for their families and communities, but also in bringing the most empowered economy forward."

"We are proud to be in the communities of 410 women that have been awarded U-Go scholarships so far,: she continues. "Our aim is to more than double that in the next few years and this is a very special opportunity by Galeria Paloma that will help us make that dream a reality."

The auction will offer works of art by masters like sculptor Julie Lluch, painter Onib Olmedo, esteemed contemporary artists such as National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab, Soler Santos, Bjorn Calleja, CCP Thirteen Artists Awardee Ernest Concepcion, Carina Santos, Isabel Echevarria, Lina Llaguno-Ciani, Aba Dalena, Martin and Barbie Honasan, Basti Artadi, Sarah de Veyra-Buyco and Hamill Buyco, Carlos, and many others.

A section will be composed of notable digital artists like Luis Buenaventura, Skye Nicolas, AJ Dimarucot, and Isaiah Cacnio, with another section featuring emerging artists.

Esteemed sculptor Julie Lluch, known for her feminist themes and distinctive, powerful point-of-view on the female experience in her pieces, presents in "Georgia Lily" an homage to feminist artist and icon Georgia o'Keefe by building on o'Keefe's abstracted "flower paintings" with her own signature, sculptural piece. As a sculpture, the theme is further underscored, magnifying a paradox where the piece singly embodies both fragility and strength.

Expressionist art legend Onib Olmedo’s "The Widow," previously exhibited at the artist’s retrospective at the Ayala Museum, is a poignant and haunting portrayal of longing. His other work, "Portrait," a watercolor artwork (recto) features a back-to-back pairing with an unusual subject, "Flowers" (verso).

Among the notable digital art offerings is Skye Nicolas’ "Don’t You Worry About the Situation [WM-17]’. In Nicolas" signature pixel paintings, remixed images are reduced to their essential structure, with graphic elements streamlined into nebulous shimmering pixels dancing across the digital canvas. Declarative statements glide across the screen, serving as an internal dialogue and a crucial visual detail completing the digital painting’s overall composition. This artwork is paired with a unique readymade piece, an original Sony WM-F17 Walkman with a mix tape compiled by Nicolas himself.

Among the unique digital works are pieces by Luis Buenaventura (aka Cryptopop), an artist from Curio Cards, the first NFT art minted on the Ethereum blockchain and the first lot offered in cryptocurrency at Christie’s (hammer price: 393ETH, approximately P88,000,000 in current ETH value). 'Handmade' consists of two artworks highlighting Buenaventura's engagement with current technological advancements, particularly the debate over whether artificial intelligence could replace humans as leading artists. Predominantly featuring hands drawn by the artist, Buenaventura humorously addresses the ongoing challenge of replicating human artistry in AI.

Also on auction is the collaboration "Plenteous," a fully handmade chair made from vintage and recycled materials, including vintage beads, fully handmade as a collaboration between the respective ateliers of Vogue Italia talent Ken Samudio and Seph Bagasao, a designer also known for his concern with environmental and ethical issues within the fashion industry.  

Fine jewelry by noted designer JJ Jiao will also be auctioned, each piece showcasing her signature filigree patterns and intricate detailing.

"As a gallery run by three women directors, whose mother was once a gallery director herself but found her calling as a steadfast educator, U-Go was a cause that we knew we could champion from the start," says Kimberly Rocha-Delgado, co-director of Galeria Paloma. "We are very grateful to U-Go for giving us the opportunity to make a contribution to the cause by doing what we do."

The auction will be conducted online at www.galeriapaloma.com/auction until April 10, 2024. Interested bidders are encouraged to visit the exhibition at ArtistSpace from March 13 to March 26, 2024.

For queries on the exhibit and auction, to assist interested bidders, or to donate directly to U-Go, please contact the gallery at +63 917 822 5673, or email [email protected].