The University of the UU直播 congratulates UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design (UE CFAD) alumnus Michael Garcia Villagante for winning the First Place鈥攁.k.a. Premio Posto or the Lorenzo il Magnifico Award鈥攊n the Painting Category of the 13th Florence Biennale of International Contemporary Art!
The awarding ceremony was held last October 31, 2021, at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy.Mr. Villagante, a 2001 graduate of Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Advertising Arts, of the then UE College of Fine Arts, was awarded for his work 鈥淧agtahan (Cessation of Crying).鈥� Per the Florence Biennale鈥檚 description, Mr. Villagante鈥檚 painting is 鈥渓ush with detail and symbolism, a sweeping view of human history against the flourishing forms of the Earth. ‘Pagtahan’ is a hypnotic epic that presents a utopic possibility, in which wars are extinguished, nature is replenished, and all of creation exists in harmony.鈥� His First-Place winning entry can be seen here: This is the latest in a long line of awards in the career to date of Mr. Villagante, who is known for his thought-provoking pieces and use of muted colors.
While he was a UE student, he won Third Honorable Mention in the watercolor category of the 30th Shell National Students Art Competition in 1997. He was the Grand Prize Winner in the oil-based medium category of the 2012 Metrobank Art and Design Excellence, for his work 鈥淪agad Hanggang Buto,鈥� in September 2012. More recently, he was declared First Honorable Mention at the 2nd Alveo National Painting Competition in 2018. Mr. Villagante was the Exemplary Performance in Visual Art awardee in UE鈥檚 Recognition Day in 1997, and was a recipient of UE鈥檚 Outstanding Alumni Award in 2012.Held every two years in Florence, Italy, the Florence Biennale is an art exhibition that selects artworks and works in design by individuals and organizations from around the world.
The 13th Florence Biennale ran from October 23 to 31, 2021, at Fortezza da Baso. Artists and designers from 78 countries around the world participated in the event, which saw more than a thousand works of art, ranging from painting; installation art; design; jewellery art; video art; drawing, calligraphy and printmaking; performance art; sculpture; new media; and photography鈥攁ll exhibited under the competition theme of 鈥淓ternal Feminine/Eternal Change鈥�.Mr. Villagante is the second UE CFAD alumnus to receive the Lorenzo il Magnifico Award from the Florence Biennale. In 2009, Mr. Maximino O. Balatbat won Second Prize for his work 鈥淎venida Manila鈥� in the 7th Florence Biennale.Congratulations, World-Class Warrior Artist!(Screenshot from ; photos by Mrs. Anne Villagante)