The University of the East congratulates UE College of Fine Arts, Architecture and Design (UE CFAD) alumnus Michael Garcia Villagante for winning the First Place—a.k.a. Premio Posto or the Lorenzo il Magnifico Award—in the Painting Category of the 13th Florence Biennale of International Contemporary Art!
The awarding ceremony was held last October 31, 2021, at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy.Mr. Villagante, a 2001 graduate of Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Advertising Arts, of the then UE College of Fine Arts, was awarded for his work “Pagtahan (Cessation of Crying).” Per the Florence Biennale’s description, Mr. Villagante’s painting is “lush with detail and symbolism, a sweeping view of human history against the flourishing forms of the Earth. ‘Pagtahan’ is a hypnotic epic that presents a utopic possibility, in which wars are extinguished, nature is replenished, and all of creation exists in harmony.” His First-Place winning entry can be seen here: https://www.florencebiennale.org This is the latest in a long line of awards in the career to date of Mr. Villagante, who is known for his thought-provoking pieces and use of muted colors.
While he was a UE student, he won Third Honorable Mention in the watercolor category of the 30th Shell National Students Art Competition in 1997. He was the Grand Prize Winner in the oil-based medium category of the 2012 Metrobank Art and Design Excellence, for his work “Sagad Hanggang Buto,” in September 2012. More recently, he was declared First Honorable Mention at the 2nd Alveo National Painting Competition in 2018. Mr. Villagante was the Exemplary Performance in Visual Art awardee in UE’s Recognition Day in 1997, and was a recipient of UE’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2012.Held every two years in Florence, Italy, the Florence Biennale is an art exhibition that selects artworks and works in design by individuals and organizations from around the world.
The 13th Florence Biennale ran from October 23 to 31, 2021, at Fortezza da Baso. Artists and designers from 78 countries around the world participated in the event, which saw more than a thousand works of art, ranging from painting; installation art; design; jewellery art; video art; drawing, calligraphy and printmaking; performance art; sculpture; new media; and photography—all exhibited under the competition theme of “Eternal Feminine/Eternal Change”.Mr. Villagante is the second UE CFAD alumnus to receive the Lorenzo il Magnifico Award from the Florence Biennale. In 2009, Mr. Maximino O. Balatbat won Second Prize for his work “Avenida Manila” in the 7th Florence Biennale.Congratulations, World-Class Warrior Artist!(Screenshot from https://www.florencebiennale.org; photos by Mrs. Anne Villagante)#WinningWarrior#UECFAD#UEForever#fUElingBrightFutures#TomorrowBeginsintheEast