Part two of a series of profiles featuring the CCP Thirteen Artists Awards 2024 Recipients
“A successful artist, to me, means striving to commit to authenticity by addressing issues that resonate with both ourselves and society.”
Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, CCP Thirteen Artists Awardee
Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, one of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Thirteen Artists Awards (TAA) 2024 recipients, had always been passionate about arts. She started honing her skills through formal training at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), however, she almost pursued accountancy when faced with the decision of which career path to take — thinking it would provide the financial stability needed to support herself and her artmaking.
“I was about to enroll in an accountancy program before deciding to take the Talent Determination Test at UP College of Fine Arts. When I had to decide which bachelor’s degree to take, I really wanted to pursue Fine Arts, but I hesitated because I wasn’t sure if it would be sustainable after graduation. In the end, I decided to follow Fine Arts, thinking I could always consider another career path if it didn’t work out,” Pagkaliwangan recalled when asked how she came to realize she wanted to be an artist.
While studying, she also took up apprenticeships with artists she admired, so she could learn from their artistic process and approach.
Her work explores the stories behind mundane yet indispensable objects to examine Philippine history and material culture. Drawing from natural history illustration and taxonomy, she documents personal and historical narratives through hand-pulled prints and drawings.
Preparation for TAA exhibit
Being named a recipient of the TAA in 2024 was a significant milestone for Pagkaliwangan. While the recognition brought a sense of pressure to live up to its prestige, it was indeed an achievement in her artistic journey.
When asked about her plans for their upcoming exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines, Pagkaliwangan shared that she’s still in the planning stage, but hinted at her intention to develop a site-responsive piece tailored to the space.
“I plan to explore the collection of the National Museum through prints and illustrations. This will allow me to engage with the museum’s archive in a way that reflects my ongoing artistic themes,” Pagkaliwangan added.
Inspiration, challenges, and goal
The process of making art for Pagkaliwangan begins with broad or general ideas and interests, which gradually take shape through illustration and printmaking, reading and writing about it, and testing things out. Along the way, conversations with peers and mentors play a big role in refining thoughts and pushing to see things from different perspectives. It is the ongoing cycle of learning and creative problem-solving that fuels her practice and keeps her moving forward.
As an artist, Pagkaliwangan considers the overwhelming abundance of information a challenge. “Determining which sources are credible, relevant, or worth pursuing can be difficult. It’s easy to get overwhelmed because everything is competing for our attention, and information that comes quickly tends to be short-lived or surface-level,” she said.
Despite the challenges, she stays grounded by focusing on immediate concerns rather than getting caught up in long-term goals. Right now, her attention is on meeting deadlines and handling ongoing projects, like preparing for the upcoming exhibition and tackling specific themes in her current work.
Success through authenticity
For the TAA recipient, a successful artist means committing to authenticity— “clarity of intent in our art practice, and addressing issues that resonate with both ourselves and society, and are relevant to both on a personal and collective level,” Pagkaliwangan said.
With this in mind, she encourages young artists to pursue what genuinely sparks their interest. In doing so, it will naturally lead them to significant realizations— about what works for them and what doesn’t, and why their art matters both personally and within society.
The CCP Thirteen Artists Awards
With Pagkaliwangan, the awardees for this year’s CCP TAA are Catalina Africa, Denver Garza, Russ Ligtas, Ella Mendoza, Issay Rodriguez, Luis Antonio Santos, Joshua Serafin, Jel Suarez, Tekla Tamoria, Derek Tumala, Vien Valencia, and Liv Vinluan.
Now in its 54th year, the triennial awards began as a curatorial project of the CCP Museum, led by its first curator Roberto Chabet, aimed at showcasing the works of Filipino artists who sought to “restructure, restrengthen, and renew artmaking and art thinking that lend viability to Philippine art.”
For more information about the CCP Thirteen Artists Awards, visit the Thirteen Artists website (thirteenartists.culturalcenter.gov.ph), the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph), and follow the official CCP and CCP VAMD social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube.
