Would You Pay P280,000 for This Work of Art?
It looks like a dead cockroach to me, lying on its back in a circle of white.
But the transparent box it’s displayed in has the words painted on it:
“
Beetle. It grows to a length of 7 feet,
and weights close to 800 pounds.,
stronger, box.,”
The work is called “Veneration of the Lie (Sleeping Mughambi)” and is described “ as a Literary Hybrid: Text/Object Composite in Acrylic Vitrine by Cesare A.X. Syjuco.
When asked to explain his work, Syjuco says via his daughter,
Cesare is an award-winning artist, painter, art critic, and poet. He hasn’t been seen in public “for a few years” now, and is “room-ridden,” says
Why? I ask.
“He said he’s just
Cesare, his wife Jean Marie, and their stunningly attractive children,
Each of the family members has his or her own style. Cesare is exhibiting four vitrines as well as his abstract paintings. Jean Marie’s “Enigma” series is made up of geometric patterns, Michelline paints delicate
Julian, Maxine, Jean Marie, and Michelline Syjuco
Meanwhile, Maxine, Julian, and A.G. also have a rock band whose recent album “Jack of None” has been nominated for eight awards at the Independent Music Awards to be held at the end of the month at Lincoln Center in New York. In one corner of the
Cesare’s varied awards include the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines distinction, the Gawad CCP in Visual Arts from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the UNESCO Paris Gold Medals for Photography and Design, among others.
He has also won a Palanca award for Poetry in
As of this writing, the dead cockroach has not been sold.
