Ben Hur Villanueva
Encyclopedia
Ben-Hur Villanueva is a Filipino
sculptor, painter, educator, lecturer, and art entrepreneur based in Baguio City
, and was one of the artists who first established the Baguio Arts Guild.
He has also served as a president for the Society of Philippine Sculptors (SPS), as Art director for the Ephpheta Foundation for the Blind, Inc., and as vice president-treasurer for Unesco’s International Art Association (IAA).
He still holds regular art exhibitions around the Philippines, and also occasionally exhibits in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Helsinki, and Havana.
in Quezon City
, Philippines. In interviews he says this experience convicted him of the importance of the school motto, "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" (For the greater Glory of God and A Man for Others). “Every individual has his/her artistic inclinations and propensity be it visual, music, dance, literary, or fashion and so he/she has the right to enhance and utilize it creatively,” he is quoted as saying. “Sharing it with others is what makes our life more meaningful and blessed.”
He and a small group of fellow artists - visual artist Santi Bose, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik
, and National Artist for Visual Art Benedicto Cabrera
, among others, established the Baguio Arts Guild (BAG).
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
sculptor, painter, educator, lecturer, and art entrepreneur based in Baguio City
Baguio City
The City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...
, and was one of the artists who first established the Baguio Arts Guild.
He has also served as a president for the Society of Philippine Sculptors (SPS), as Art director for the Ephpheta Foundation for the Blind, Inc., and as vice president-treasurer for Unesco’s International Art Association (IAA).
Notable works
Villanueva is best known as a sculptor, working with brass, metal, and wood. Notable sculptures by Villanueva include:- Kapit-Bisig - a commemorative Narra wood sculpture of four figures locking arms, which was presented by President Corazon AquinoCorazon AquinoMaria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
to the Filipino people on the first year anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Revolution1986 EDSA RevolutionThe People Power Revolution was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines that occurred in 1983-86. The methods used amounted to a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud...
. - Among Supremo - a sculpture of Andres BonifacioAndres BonifacioAndrés Bonifacio y de Castro was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. He was a founder and later Supremo of the Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution...
at Global City, Taguig CityTaguig CityTaguig is a city in Metro Manila in the Philippines. From a thriving fishing community along the shores of Laguna de Bay, it is now an important residential, commercial and industrial center... - Thy Will Be Done - A sculpture at the campus of Saint Paul University Quezon City
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga - A sculpture at the campus of Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
in Baguio city - Risen Christ - A statue at Caleruega, Nasugbu, BatangasNasugbu, BatangasNasugbu is a 1st class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 113,926 people in 19,615 households....
He still holds regular art exhibitions around the Philippines, and also occasionally exhibits in New York, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, Helsinki, and Havana.
Teaching career
Villanueva spent 30 years teaching arts at the Ateneo De Manila UniversityAteneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
in Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, Philippines. In interviews he says this experience convicted him of the importance of the school motto, "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" (For the greater Glory of God and A Man for Others). “Every individual has his/her artistic inclinations and propensity be it visual, music, dance, literary, or fashion and so he/she has the right to enhance and utilize it creatively,” he is quoted as saying. “Sharing it with others is what makes our life more meaningful and blessed.”
Retirement to Baguio, Arko ni Apo, and the Baguio Arts Guild
Keeping these beliefs in mind, Villanueva moved to Baguio City upon retiring from teaching at Ateneo. He put up an arts workshop, Arko Ni Apo (Ilocano: Ark of the Lord), and he started spearheading various art-related activities catering to a people ranging from professionals, educators, students, young artists, television/film writers and directors, street children, to various religious groups.He and a small group of fellow artists - visual artist Santi Bose, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik
Kidlat Tahimik
Eric de Guia , better known as Kidlat Tahimik , is a film director, writer and actor whose films are commonly associated with the Third Cinema movement through their critiques of neocolonialism.One of the most prominent names in the Filipino film industry, he has garnered various...
, and National Artist for Visual Art Benedicto Cabrera
Benedicto Cabrera
Benedicto Reyes Cabrera , better known as "BenCab", is a Filipino painter and was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts in 2006...
, among others, established the Baguio Arts Guild (BAG).