The work of artist Florencio B. Concepcion, mentor to many Philippine artists, is set to exhibit this weekend at Avellana Art Gallery
Florencio B. Concepcion (1933-2006), or “FB” as known to many, is a modern master that’s considered highly skilled, but also highly underrated.
Starting this Saturday, July 27, the public will have a rare opportunity to delve into the world of the artist, a pivotal yet often overlooked figure in Philippine modern art, who shifted between mediums, from oil, watercolor, and gouache, creating fields of color and depth in both pure and figurative abstractions.
Curated by Miguel Rosales, art advisor and creative director of Caramel Creative Consultancy, the exhibition “Mixed Media: Florencio B. Concepcion” at Avellana Art Gallery, the gallery of the late art patron Albert Avellana, will shed light on Concepcion’s diverse body of work, highlighting his significant influence on generations of Filipino artists.
“I’m a big fan of his work,” Rosales enthuses. “When I first saw his work, I immediately felt connected to it, and I felt that I saw the work of somebody important.”
“When in Rome” — Discovering Florencio B. Concepcion
In the 1960s, Concepcion was sent on a grant to Rome for his graduate studies in the city’s Accademia di Belle Arti. At the time, and even today, being sent halfway across the world by the Italian government showed recognition of great potential in the artist.
His sojourn coincided with the arte informale and arte povera movements, and marked a shift in Concepcion’s style, as his “Roman Period” of work was developed. His paintings were characterized by layers that evoked peaceful, transcendent feelings with a lighter palette, and pure, almost visceral abstraction—qualities that make work from this period highly sought-after by collectors. He also started signing his paintings in Roman numerals instead of regular dates. Rosales explains, “While he was there in Italy in the ’60s, even his color palette changed and evolved… Then when he came back to Manila, the way he painted changed and evolved again.”
What many don’t know about Concepcion was that the artist focused his energies on teaching. “He was not into being part of the art world, per se. He didn’t like the whole idea of an art market. And he was really focused on teaching, and he inspired generations of artists. He was mentor and professor to many, like Lao Lianben and Gus Albor,” Rosales says.
READ: Seeing: A Way of Thinking – An Exclusive Interview with Artist Lao Lianben
Concepcion famously rejected opportunities for exhibitions or commissioned works. K. Galarpe, in the article, “Florencio Concepcion: Master of expression,” quoted the artist saying, “A painting must move you. If you think while painting, you will produce a synthetic painting.”
“Mixed Media: Florencio B. Concepcion” at Avellana Art Gallery
The exhibition “Mixed Media” showcases Concepcion’s versatility across various media, ranging from his early, pure abstractions to figural abstractions, as well as printmaking, small works on paper, and an extremely rare ceramic work that’s difficult to find from the artist, crafted in Bacolod.
Rosales hopes this exhibition will inspire a deeper appreciation for Concepcion’s contributions to Philippine art. “I think he’s a pioneering abstractionist,” he says. “I hope people will really sort of look at Florencio Concepcion’s oeuvre and his contribution to the timeline of Philippine modern to contemporary art.”
The work includes pieces from Concepcion’s family estate. Rosales cites the artist’s granddaughter Andrea Concepcion as a force that pushed the exhibition forward. There are also pieces on display from the private collection of Margarita and Amado Forés, among others.
Caramel’s broader vision: Dialogue and art education
With Caramel Creative Consultancy, Rosales’ exhibition is part of a greater project to make a series of art exhibitions that further dialogue and art education in the Philippine consciousness. You might remember his striking exhibit “Pambabae” at the recent Art Fair Philippines which celebrated the work of artists like Cipra Kamatoy, Evelyn Collantes, Ileana Lee, Impy Pilapil, Ivi Cosio, Jeannie Javellosa, Lilian Hwang, Nelfa Querubin, Nena Saguil, Pacita Abad, Phyllis Zaballero, and Yola Johnson.
He has also done work restoring heritage buildings, from Malacañang Palace to the Palacio de Memoria compound, the latter of which won him a government award for adaptive reuse. For the 2022 edition of the Venice Biennale, he was involved in the exhibition layout for the Philippine pavilion.
For Rosales, as an art advisor and creative consultant, this exhibition at Avellana Art Gallery is part of a larger mission to spotlight important figures in Philippine art history. He also notes aspirations to have more shows at museum institutions in the Philippines, that spotlight solely the artist and their work. “It’s about the love of country and culture,” he asserts. “I always try to give artists here a better platform… And for F.B. Concepcion, I think he deserves his place among the greats.”
“Mixed Media: Florencio B. Concepcion” opens this Saturday, July 27, and runs until August 27, at the Avellana Art Gallery in the Henry Hotel compound in Pasay City.