angono’s art museums: nemiranda

Angono has always been on my travel wish list. So glad finally I made it there–and on an impromptu trip at that!

With just crammed online research the night before, my best friend and I drove to Angono, Rizal to visit the art galleries of Nemiranda and the Blanco family Thursday morning last week.   We got there a little past noon, and after lunch at Balaw-Balaw Restaurant, we went down the street to the Nemiranda Museum and Angono School for the Arts.

We found a gate that said “entrance fee”, and after a few unanswered knocks, we decided to go inside. It took us a while to realize we made a mistake and entered through the back door (which explained the construction mess!).

If we just walked a little, we would’ve gone in by the real entrance, which was around the corner.

Nemi Miranda is a painter and sculptor, and his cement sculptures were inviting, and lyrical if that’s an apt word, as if they’re part of an epic or myth.  Very reminiscent of Hermes Alegre’s diwata muses (Hermes is one of my Pinoy favorite painters–my first purchased artwork is by him!)…

The Museum houses the artist’s paintings, which employ what he calls Imaginative Figurism:

I remember reading that he did some works in the EDSA Shrine…When I asked our guide which specific pieces were his, she gave a vague answer “Yung sa Shrine”…but a quick search on the EDSA Shrine website says he painted the murals in the main chapel:

Within the main chapel, a floating glass sculpture of the Risen Christ by Ramon Orlina overlooks the main marble altar also created by Abueva. The upper walls are muted murals that depict and interpret the four-day revolution by 15 artists from Angono, Rizal, led by Nemi Miranda.

I haven’t seen them, but I assume they’d be in the same vein these studies:

I’m not a fan of his palette, but I found his most striking painting to be a commentary on third world poverty and overpopulation:

“Isang kahig, isang tuka, sa kaunting sarap…sangkatutak na hirap”
Oil on canvas, 1996

At 6 meters x 6 meters, it’s quite massive, and gives a stun to anyone standing in front of it.

As a family museum, works of his children are also on display…

I kept coming back to this haunting piece by his son, Paul:

Our next stop was the Blanco Family Museum (oh such a treasure!!!!), post to follow…

View more pictures of Nemiranda and Angono on flickr.

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The Nemiranda Family Museum is on Dona Justa Street in Angono, Rizal.  From the Manila East Road (eastbound), turn left towards Balaw-balaw Restaurant.  Entrance fee is P30.
Phone : (02) 651-3867
Fax : (02) 651-3867
Email : inquiry@nemiranda.net, nemi_miranda@yahoo.com
Website: nemiranda.net