The Museum’s Secrets

Some museums look like secret spots.

When I was walking around the Makati Central Business District, I was expecting to easily find the Yuchengco Museum. In a way, it could be seen from Ayala Avenue—that is if you realize what you are looking at. If you don’t, it’s easily missed. I had to enter the RCBC Tower before I could find the museum.

First to greet me at the RCBC Plaza was The Spirit of EDSA sculpture by the late artist Eduardo Castrillo. He was also the creator behind other masterpieces of stone and metal, like People Power Monument found along Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City and the Bonifacio Shrine in Manila.

Yuchengco Museum

The Spirit of EDSA sculpture by Eduardo Castrillo

The museum houses the collection of Alfonso T. Yuchengco, the recently departed head of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, two of which are the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and the Mapúa University (formerly Mapúa Institute of Technology). He was also the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations and served different presidential administrations. His collection includes works by old masters like Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, and Carlos Francisco, as well as other modern artists like Cesar Legaspi, Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Jose Joya, and H.R. Ocampo.

City Rhythm by Jose Joya

Untitled by Cesar Legaspi

Coral Reef by Jose Joya

Sabel by Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera

A Year of Faith by H.R. Ocampo

Other collections there were created by jewelry designer Wynn Wynn Ong. The pieces emphasized Oriental inspiration and Sino-Filipino culture.

Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong

Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong

Furniture detail

Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong

Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong

Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong

Jewelry by Wynn Wynn Ong

Another major exhibit of theirs is the “Pumapapel: Art in Paper”, which opened in July 13, 2010. The work that visitors are instantly drawn to is the Suspended Garden by Tony Gonzales and Tes Pasola. It is an installation that was created from recycled paper pulp and newspaper twine.

Wearable Art

Wearable Art

Suspended Garden by Tony Gonzales and Tes Pasola

Wearable Art

Wearable Art

My tour of the museum was over in less than two hours. But the time was enough to learn of the secrets hiding in the art house.

Yuchengco Museum is open from Mondays to Saturdays, from 10 AM to 6 PM.

 

Yuchengco Museum
RCBC Plaza, Corner Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati