Exhibitions

It has been said that the hardest period for a business is to cross its first five years. So making it on towards 15 years in a highly competitive and fast changing industry such as the art scene is reason for celebration indeed.

It has been an interesting and exciting journey for Galerie Joaquin.

It was top Philippine surrealist Raul Lebajo who proposed the name for the new gallery a little over 15 years ago. He said it was interesting it sounded Latin and since galleries should really reflect the artistic direction of the owner it was an apt name.

Joaquin “Jack” Teotico, Galerie Joaquin’ Managing Director actually started getting interested in art through a Humanities class in the early 1970s having had the famed writer and poet Virgie Moreno as his humanities class teacher. She introduced him to both local and international art.

After graduating from the University of the Philippines, Teotico joined the Bancom Group, Inc. , the first investment bank in the Philippines. From there he was invited to join the management team at the Department of Agriculture. In the early 1980's, while still with the DA, Teotico chanced upon an art gallery in the Makati area. Apparently, this gallery was where the renowned Saturday Group of Artists met regularly. Its leader then was National Artist Cesar Legaspi. Legaspi invited Jack to join their group and it was there where he met purveyors of Philippine art such as Juvenal Sanso, Onib Olmedo, Ang Kiukok, Romulo Olazo, Malang, Justin Nuyda, Allan Cosio and BenCab who would join everytime he was in town from Baguio.

Sanso and Teotico developed a strong friendship and the then Paris based artist allowed the young art enthusiast to market some of his works. Jack did that in his spare time as he was still very active in the management of the Fiber Industry Development Authroity, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture. But when he retired in 2001 after a 25 year service, he thought of concentrating on one of his major passions: art. A space was found in the idyllic municipality of San Juan and this was where Galerie Joaquin was established.

The friendship with Sanso helped open doors for the energetic gallerist. A few years after Galerie Joaquin’s establishment in the mid-2000s, Sotheby’s became interested in featuring Modern and Contemporary Philippine art in its international auctions. Through its then Country Manager Kim Camacho, Sotheby’s partnered with Galerie Joaquin and started previewing its entire Philippine selection of modern and contemporary Philippine art at Galerie Joaquin Main in San Juan.

Very soon the gallery began carrying works of other important artists such as the late National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz who had five of his last major exhibits with the Galerie. The gallery also started representing the National Artist and renowned sculptor and painter Abdulmari Imao as with the late Ed Castrillo, Ramon Orlina, the late Mario Parial, Marcel Antonio, Dominic Rubio, Carlo Magno and Lydia Velasco. Through the years, the gallery decided that its focus would be on modernist and fine art masters. National Artist Arturo Luz had five major shows with the galerie.

With some of its artists having passed on, Galerie Joaquin considers this its 15th year anniversary show to be timely and apt as it is the Galerie’s homage to the outstanding artists it has represented. Also it is part of the Galerie’s tribute to the forthcoming National Arts Month. Included in the exhibit are an unexhibited selection of works from artists such as Sanso, the estates of Alcuaz, Abdulmari Imao, Ed Castrillo and Mario Parial as well as works done specially for the exhibit by Angelito Antonio, Justin Nuyda, Raul Isidro, Ramon Orlina, Michael Cacnio, Dominic Rubio, as well as artists Marge Organo, Rudolf Gonzalez and Ombok Villamor.

“Modernism and Fine Art Exhibition”, Galerie Joaquin’s 15th Anniversary Exhibit opens January 18, Thursday at 6 pm at the Atrium, 2nd Level of the East Wing of Shangri-la Plaza Mall. It runs from January 18-January 28, 2018 and is being co-presented by Galerie Raphael. For more information, please contact: 02-7239418 or 02-9416194.