The Art Gallery of New South Wales is delighted to announce Passion and procession: art of the Philippines an exhibition that presents the work of ten contemporary Filipino artists.

Featuring works by Santiago Bose, Marina Cruz, Alfredo Esquillo Jr, Nona Garcia, Renato Habulan, Geraldine Javier, Mark Justiniani, Alwin Reamillo, Norberto Roldan and Rodel Tapaya, Passion and procession: art of the Philippines reveals the artists’ very personal responses to faith, history, politics and life in the Philippines during the past two decades.

Art Gallery of NSW deputy director Maud Page said the exhibition is part of the Bayanihan Philippine Art Project a collaboration between the Art Gallery of NSW, Blacktown Arts Centre, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Mosman Art Gallery, Peacock Gallery (Auburn), and Museums and Galleries NSW, to celebrate the art and culture of the Philippines.

“Last year marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Australia, and the Bayanihan Philippine Art Project is a timely recognition of that cultural connection. Our exhibition Passion and procession is an opportunity to engage with the work of some of the most talented artists living and working in the Philippines today,” Page said.

“The Gallery saw a tremendous response to the launch of the Bayanihan Project here in 2016 and we look forward to seeing the local Filipino community and all visitors to the Gallery embrace this captivating exhibition,” Page added.

Passion and procession brings together painting, sculpture, video and installation works, many of which have never been seen before in Australia, including three new major commissions by Marina Cruz, Nona Garcia and Geraldine Javier.

Matt Cox curator of Asian art at the Art Gallery of NSW said the works selected for Passion and procession draw on folk mythology, family archives, nature and religious ceremony to reconsider established Filipino narratives of history and nation.

“The artists in Passion and procession use found as well as ritual objects, plant specimens and symbols of precolonial histories to address the ambiguities of faith and science, social inequality and relationship to place,” Cox said.

“In doing so, they demonstrate a belief in the potential of art to inspire, heal and effect social change,” Cox added.

Accompanying the contemporary works featured in the exhibition is a selection of textiles and sculptural objects from the Philippines given to the Gallery in 2005 by Dr John Yu and Dr George Soutter.

The Art Gallery of NSW presents a series of events in association with Passion and procession: art of the Philippines including talks by artist Alwin Reamillo and curator Matt Cox.

On the opening day of the exhibition the Gallery hosts Habol Ilonggo, a fashion parade featuring traditional Filipino hand-loomed textiles and contemporary fashion design, presented in association with the Philippine Consulate General, the Philippine Department of Tourism and FLAGCOM.

Every Saturday in August the Gallery will present Harana poetry tours to experience the exhibition through performance poetry. These ticketed alternative guided tours are led by young Filipino-Australian performance poets as they interpret the work in Passion and procession from a unique perspective.

The Gallery also provides an access tour and workshop for adults with specific needs and an Auslan tour for visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“Passion and Procession: art of the Philippines” is part of the Bayanihan Philippine Art Project, a collaboration between the Art Gallery of NSW, Blacktown Arts Centre, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Mosman Art Gallery, Peacock Gallery (Auburn), and Museums and Galleries NSW, to celebrate the art and culture of the Philippines.