Skip to main content

Discovering Pinto Art Museum



On top of the hills of Antipolo lies Pinto Art Museum, an expansive private villa that houses a wide array of art pieces: paintings, sculptures, installations, motion pictures, mixed media, etc. 

Situated on a 1.3-hectare property along Sierra Madre Street in Grand Heights, the beautiful gardens and hushed interiors of the Santorini-inspired site provide perfect solace from Metro Manila's oppressive heat. The place also offers a nice break from the hustle and bustle of city life, and a chance to get better acquainted with the works of Philippine contemporary artists, based on the collection of Dr. Joven Cuanang. More often than not, artworks for sale go straight from artists to collectors, and largely disappear from public view. The doctor feels, however, that certain pieces deserve a wider audience.

"All the artworks that I've bought through the years I never resold anything," he told the Philippine Star in 2012. I am basically an educator, so I told myself this is the way I would be able to contribute to (the preservation of) our culture."

Dr. Cuanang added, "What I want is for young people to develop a culture of museum-going. (When we were selecting pieces for the museum,) I didn’t include anymore the works of the established artists, the masters. Para naman may exposure 'yung younger artists. Their works are worthy to be exhibited in the first place."








Pinto Art Museum offers a vast space for visitors to roam around. Upon entering its doors, you will be enthralled by its white stucco walls and a small church bell that functions as a doorbell atop an archway. And, everywhere you look, there seem to be corridors and paths waiting to reveal more hidden treasures.

You need at least an hour or so to see the whole place, and, should you get hungry, fret not! There are two cafes at Pinto which serve a wide range of dishes including pizza, pasta, main courses and desserts.

[Photography by lotbejerano]
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Puli Peaks to Picture Books

Ever see art that makes you want to step right inside and look around? Meet Shih-Yu Lin, a Taiwan-born illustrator whose work does exactly that. I came home one evening, scrolling my phone, expecting just the usual noise. Then I found his drawings. His pictures burst with color and loose charm. They're lively, dreamy, and you can feel his happiness in every stroke. It’s rare to find art that doesn’t just show joy, but shares it—and I realized that’s what makes his work such a treasure. Shih-Yu was born in Taipei and grew up in Puli, a small mountain town that feels like a painting itself. After discovering his love for picture books, he earned an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art in 2017. He’s been drawing nonstop ever since. Want to escape into a brighter, warmer world for a bit? Check out his Facebook . Don’t be surprised if you end up smiling the whole time.
Post a Comment
Read more

The Endurance Artist

I recently stumbled upon the work of Margritt Martinet , whose drawings are giving my brain a delightful yet exhausting workout. This French artist, you see, deals in the glorious, mind-bending borderland between the organic and the futuristic. She doesn't just create art; she crafts entire visual universes that are so immersive and dynamic you feel like you should be wearing a spacesuit just to look at them. My mind simply cannot wrap itself around the sheer volume of focused physical labor that goes into these things. The pieces are intricate, layered, and incredibly consistent. But what truly inspires—and simultaneously mocks—me is her patience. This, my friends, is the real superpower. I once attempted a similar large-scale, intricate project. It started so well: my early lines were sharp, and my geometric shapes were perfect. Then, slowly but surely, as the hours stretched and the cramping started in my wrist, the inevitable descent began. The sharp lines became... a little mo...
Post a Comment
Read more

A visit to Beijing and a stay at the Sunrise Kempinski are now on my bucket list

Located on the shore of Yanqi Lake, the Sunrise Kempinski is housed in a bold, spherical structure that looks like a scallop from a side angle. It has 306 guest rooms and suites spread across 21 floors, and is covered with more than 10,000 glass panels which are meant to reflect the hotel's surrounding mountains, forestry and lake. Chief designer Zhang Hai Ao of Shanghai Huadu Architect Design Company collaborated with a team of more than 60 individuals from around the world to build the luxurious hotel. Its construction took two years, and required 9,300 workers to complete. 
Post a Comment
Read more