Michael Cacnio’s Fisherman (2006) is a culmination not just of his illustrious career but also of the richly artistic childhood that he grew up in. Exposed to the art of his father Angel Cacnio as well as the other eminent contemporary artists, Cacnio's awareness of the beauty of art began at a young age. Veering into the field of sculpture, Cacnio soon made a name for himself as he manipulated his medium (he often favors brass) into pieces that bleed with childhood nostalgia. Fisherman fits right in his oeuvre. Cacnio pays homage to his grandfather Flavio Cacnio who was a fisherman as he shapes brass to depict a lone fisherman, a basket on his side he leisurely reels in his haul. Here, Cacnio plays around with perspective, elongating the man's fishing rod and shaping the string into a soft swirl in the air. “In sculpture, there’s drama, a mood,” Cacnio says in a 2024 People’s Asia interview. “At the same time, in every angle, it’s tangible. A sculpture is three-dimensional and every angle of the artwork can converse with you.” Cacnio’s Fisherman is a perfect blend of childhood wonder and magnificent storytelling imbued with palpable intimacy. Through his usage of curves and straight lines, Cacnio emphasizes both the gracefulness of the fishermen and the strength they bear as they carry on their days, unbending in the face of trials. (Hannah Valiente)