Madonna XVIII
signed and dated 2013 (lower right)
acrylic and ink on paper
9" x 12" (23 cm x 30 cm)


PROVENANCEBenCab Museum
EXHIBITEDBenCab Museum, Madonna: Paintings by BenCab (Part of the "BenCab: 50 Creative Years" celebrations, Tuba, Benguet, 14 July - 4 October 2015
LITERATUREFlores, Patrick D., ed. BenCab: Filipino Artist (Exhibitions Catalog). Tuba, Benguet: BenCab Art Foundation, Inc., 2019. Full-color illustration and painting description on page 113.

The image of the Filipino is exalted in the works of Bencab. Throughout his oeuvre (which has been described by art critic Cid Reyes as a “romance with the race”) are images that are dear to the heart of many Filipinos; he weaves into his visually rich canvases the story of a people that are both forged by their shared national history and differentiated by their unique geography which has ensured a strong local provincial culture.In continuing the long-held tradition of the Mother and Child theme in art, Bencab puts his signature Filipino twist in his multiple Madonna paintings. The lot at hand, Madonna XVIII (2017) is among his many depictions of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus. Using his signature warm brown palette, Ben- cab's Madonna is dark-haired and dark-skinned, hair wind- swept and baby bundled close to her chest.Despite the lack of concrete Filipino imagery, there is no doubt from the woman's face to the colors used that this depiction of Madonna is indigenized and Filipinized. Add to the fact the breadth with which he draws the Mother and Child, it speaks then of Bencab’s talent that his creation of the figures has not been exhausted to the point of depletion, with each depiction as unique as the last.The art of Bencab paints the Filipino with a triumph that illus- trates the arduous battle they have continuously faced. From the history of colonization and imperialism whose effects are still prevalent to this day to contemporary concerns that plague its current citizens, Bencab handles these topics with a sensitivity that belies his love for his country and brings about in his works a rich tapestry of the Filipino essence. (Hannah Valiente)