Exploring the height, breadth and depth of Edwin Wilwayco’s art

By Lawrence Ledesma

Words are not enough to describe the artistic genius of Filipino painter Edwin Wilwayco as well as the height, breadth and depth of his art.

An internationally acclaimed abstract expressionist, Edwin’s work spans more than three decades.

Born in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, Edwin took up Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. Prior to finishing his degree in 1972, Edwin already showed streaks of his brilliance. As a student at the University of the Philippines, he was handpicked, along with Rock Drilon, Benjie Cabangis and Fred Liongoren, by National Artist Josè Joya to assist in the making of the mural "Pagdiriwang" at the lobby of the Philippine International Convention Center. Edwin also won a series of Shell Merit awards as well as merits of excellence for advertising design at the U.P. College of Fine Arts.

A few years before and after obtaining his college diploma, Edwin pursued further studies. He took up continental design studies in Los Angeles, California in 1968.

He was granted a painting scholarship by the Italian government in 1977. He was also a recipient of the British Council Scholarship for Painting at the West Surrey College of Art and Design in England.

From then on, Edwin’s art works have been displayed countless times in various exhibits in the Philippines and abroad. He has held one-man shows in Germany, Paris and New York last year. He has also been part of group exhibits held in Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Iran, Belgium and Germany .

His masterpieces are inspired by the likes of Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Franz Kline, Marca Relli, Henry Matisse and Zao Wuo Ki.

For Edwin, the possibilities are endless.

“Painting is discovery. Every time you make a mark on canvass, all sorts of possibilities open up….when you take a brush on canvass, you really never know the results paint is going to make.”

A recipient of the Thirteen Artists award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1994, Edwin has been named to the Marquis “Who’s Who” in 1995.

“To be given by God the talent to paint and bring joy to others.” That, for Edwin, is his greatest reward as a visual artist.

Known as a man of few words, Edwin would rather communicate his passion through his art. His favorite mediums are oil, acrylic and oil bar.

“The tension of always trying to push yourself over the edge of testing the limits of your imagination, in the hope of creating impressions distinctly your own and quite beyond anything you ever expected when you started out. Therein lies the continual challenge and beauty of the act of painting for me.”

Image:
Edwin Wilwayco, Scherzo XII, Oil on Canvas, 122 x 122 cm, 2007