PROPERTY FROM THE PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY (PLDT CO.) COLLECTION

ABOUT THE WORK

Lamberto Hechanova was a renowned modernist painter, printmaker, and sculptor in the 1960s who won various awards for his works in the country and abroad. His indoor sculpture, Allegory in Aluminum, won First Place at the First Exhibition of the Philippine Sculptors in 1968. He settled in the U.S., specifically in two states, Baltimore and New York, after representing the country at the VI Biennale de Paris with his sculpture entries in 1969, as he received a travel grant from the Art Association of the Philippines. Here, Hechanova explored various art styles, materials, and aesthetics, which informed his unique style of artworks exhibiting a combination of painting and sculpture—his dimensional assemblages were distinct during his time. The CCP chose him as one of the recipients of the Thirteen Artist Awards in 1970. Homage to Julie is a 1968 work that reveals Hechanova’s unconventional style in art-making which cemented his name as one of the country’s progressive artists. His signature “crossover style” displayed in this particular work is also present in some of his award-winning works.