Noted sculptor Glenn Cagandahan explores the nuances of the Filipino family in his latest exhibition, “Pamilya,” at Galleria Nicolas.

Opening on May 9 at 6:30 p.m., “Pamilya” looks at the idealized Filipino family in an idyllic rural setting.

Featuring new sculptures and reliefs by the artist, “Pamilya” is a celebration of the Philippine family, as well as an examination of its essential characteristics.

Cagandahan, born in 1977, is a sculptor of folk imagery and subjects, known particularly for his small mixed-media sculptures of farmers and their families on carabaos.

Trained at the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines, Cagandahan sculpts rural genre scenes.

Through his usage of  folk motifs, he presents a vision of a calm, peaceful and simple life. Cagandahan presents traditional motifs in new ways by placing them in mid-journey atop the very symbol of the Philippine character: the industrious and iconic carabao.

In “Pamilya,” Cagandahan pushes these motifs even further. Colorful family groups ride atop  a carabao, undoubtedly on their way to a family picnic.

It’s Cagandahan’s unique reliefs, however, that truly exemplifies the essence of pamilya. “Bayanihan,” a work that shows a family carrying a house in the traditional way, shows how extended the Filipino family is—encompassing numerous tito, tita, cousins and nephews. “Fruit Vendor” is a relief that shows a more traditional scene—mother and child behind a fruit stall, colorfully done, and with a sculptural technique that makes Cagandahan one of the foremost sculptors in the country today.

These reliefs brings much variety to the interested collector—providing him or her with the ability to hang the work on a wall as one would a painting, but occupying the volume of a sculpture.

The newly renovated Galleria Nicolas is in Art Space,  3/F, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City.

Call tel. 6250273 or e-mail [email protected]. Works can also be viewed at www.gallerianicolas.com.