Beauty has been immortalized through the paintings of noted hyperrealist painter Claudio Bravo. A national artist of Chile, Claudio had a six-month stint in Manila in 1968 during which he painted several prominent society personalities, including then-President Marcos and Madame Imelda.

 

For the first time in 44 years since their exhibit in Luz Gallery, the portraits are now on exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. This very rare viewing is open to the public only until Oct. 20.

 

The exhibit, “Claudio Bravo: Sojourn in Manila,” was made possible by the joint efforts of the Embassy of Chile and geothermal energy producer Energy Development Corp. (EDC). The idea was first hatched by the wife of Chilean Ambassador Roberto Mayorga, who then connected with EDC, who has established a number of ties in Chile, as they have started up geothermal plants in that country.

 

The result is a wonderful retrospective, considering our shared Spanish roots and, simultaneously, a celebration of Chile’s 202 years of independence. At the opening, EDC chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez talked about how EDC has been undertaking exploration activities in the mountains of Chile for some time now. In the near future, they hope to supply clean and renewable energy into the homes and industries of Chile, as they do here.

 

“Claudio Bravo: Sojourn in Manila” will be accompanied by weekly activities on Saturdays, including a curator’s talk by Tats Manahan, a lecture on still-life painting by Cid Reyes and drawing sessions. The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex on Roxas Boulevard. Museum hours are

9 a.m.-6 p.m, Monday-Saturday. Visit www.metmuseum.ph for more details.

 

ManilART fair

 

At the exhibit, longtime friend Rosan Cruz and I wondered how the artist could brilliantly capture the beauty of his subjects. We wanted to find the next Claudio Bravo, so we hied off to the ongoing ManilART 2012 at the SMX Convention Center.

 

The SMX crowd was buzzing, what with 40 galleries filling up the convention center. ManilART is a fantastic way to get introduced to the multifaceted style of Filipino artists, as well as to reinforce art lovers’ support for local talent. It’s a great show, unfortunately until today only.

 

Olay Regenerist

 

An artist will preserve one’s beauty for the future, but for today, women have to resort to other means to solve their wrinkles. My answer is the new Olay Regenerist.

 

At an intimate lunch at my home, a group of girl friends and media guests were introduced to Olay Regenerist’s breakthrough products that help fight signs of skin aging. Dramatically reducing visible wrinkles in just one application, Olay Regenerist Wrinkle Relaxing Cream is one amazing product.

 

There is scientific research and background to the product, but in a nutshell, micro-fillers fill up the “valleys” of lines and wrinkles to effectively smoothen skin. While the uniquely sized particles reduce the wrinkle’s appearance almost instantly, the Relaxing Cream contains a combination of B3 complex and advanced biopeptides to improve even the look of deep eye lines in 14 days.

 

They say photos never lie, and with the help of Olay Regenerist’s veteran photographer Francis Abraham, we all had the chance to take before and after photos and see how our skin improved dramatically after using the product. My fave florist Patricia Pastelero transformed our living room into a dramatic English garden. Wonderful photographer Klay Tan captured every scene, and all her photos are now on her Facebook account.

 

As a special treat, guests were also given the opportunity to try two new products—Olay Regenerist Night Resurfacing Essence and Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Fragrance Free. Justin Lladoc, Olay brand manager, told us that skin regeneration works best at night while sleeping.

 

Parties at Prive

 

Hanging out with all the young ladies at Olay was a great vibe. Energy from the youth must be the best way to stay beautiful. The Prive Style Series parties in Prive Luxury Club are always filled with young beautiful people. The latest party was the send-off party for Veejay Floresca, one of the country’s top young designers.

 

Veejay is departing for San Francisco to pursue further studies in fashion design, bringing him one step closer to achieving his dreams of international success. The despedida was kicked off by Zombettes’ Sanya Smith featuring an eclectic playlist, and also featured a fashion film by Ynigo Santos. The event was sponsored by Jockey.

 

Standing front and center among the muses were GMA talents Louise de los Reyes and Kris Bernal. Louise, who is currently enjoying a successful run on “One True Love,” is an avid fan of Veejay’s work.

 

Kris, on the other hand, felt a kinship with Veejay given how their careers started out. While Kris found her spot in the limelight as a finalist in “StarStruck,” Veejay made waves in the Top Three of “Project Runway Philippines.”

 

J-Lo in Manila

 

Another great way to stay energetic is to attend a concert! The upcoming J-Lo Dance Again World Tour is sure to be a frenzy of action. The Latin diva performs at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Nov. 26 and tickets are already moving fast.

 

The concert is part of J-Lo’s round-the-world tour and is packed with all the flash, glitter and hip-grinding action of a major concert series. The dance goddess will perform wearing signature Zuhair Murad with an army of brawn back-up dancers behind her. The concert is a partnership among Music Management International, Vista Land and Hi-Definition Radio—the people behind Radio High 105.9/FM. Tickets are available via SM Tickets at www.smtickets.com, or tel. 4702222.

 

Follow @tessavaldes on Twitter or e-mail her at [email protected]