Travelogue art on the catwalk

Nocturnal painting en plein air at the Louvre in Paris, 2021, Carol Tanjutco’s Travelogue shares her journey and passion in arts. INQUIRER/Porsha Seechung

Almost 20 years after her first solo roadshow as featured artist of Makati City in 2002, lawyer Carol Tanjutco (Ctanj) opened her fourth one-woman show featuring 24 of her oil paintings from around the globe, including scenes from Makati, Cebu, New York, Paris, Bruges, Venice and Copenhagen.

“Travelogue, Journeys of A Renaissance Woman,” was held on Nov. 15-26, 2021 at Philippine Center, New York, with poetry readings interpreting her works, and culminating in a surprise “Art on the Catwalk” that presented 12 additional works.

Philippine Consul General of New York, Elmer Cato described the event as auspicious and timely as travel begins after a long hiatus from the pandemic, “an inspiration to explore and expand our perspective to see the beauty of the world.”

The show also celebrates her 20th year of joining Makati Artist Guild, a group mentored by CCP Outstanding Visual Artist of the 90s decade, Renato Habulan, who taught women from different careers on weekend art sessions at Dasmarinas Village.

National Artist nominee Nemi Miranda lauded Tanjutco for her many roles as a lawyer, a CPA, a business woman and a cultural worker who devotes much time for charities for the benefit of poor artists.

Citing the artist’s expressionist poetic style, curator Dorothy Krakauer read a message from Paul Cabezas Gallery of New York: “In this difficult moment of life, of what we are going through, I’d like to share an unforgettable phrase, from this charismatic and sensitive artist: ‘Prayers  in our heart like Prose and Poetry bring us back to not so distant past.’”

Ctanj spring-summer paintings of Cherry Blossoms and Lavender Field series, her recent visit to farms and mountains upstate New York immortalized in her canvas at Philippine Center gallery, NYC. INQUIRER/Porsha Seechung

“In her own ideal world, art should be a mysterious garden. A garden that is filled with various exotic flowers and different kinds of aroma, with awesome unique touch. Through these art works of Carol Tanjutco, we can enjoy the amazing landscapes of magical color in real 3-D, the vivid color of nature reborn, without barriers as she is ready to savor any season, with a smile of triumph in her soul.” The short program is captured on YouTube.

Gracing the event are Eagle Eye Charities Board of Trustees, Dr. Dely Go,  Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Mission Ambassador Enrique Manalo, Consul General Elmer Cato, business colleagues and poet laureate Dr Lestrino Baquiran who gave a copy of his own book of poems to the artist. Chef Jappy Afzelius prepared a Filipino-French fusion chef’s carving for the themed night.

Opening the show led by (L-R) Eagle Eye Charities Trustee Dr. Dely Go, Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Mission Ambassador Enrique Manalo, artist Carol Tanjutco, Philippine Consul General of New York Elmer Cato, EEC President Dr Romulo Aromin and curator Dorothy Krakauer. INQUIRER/Porsha Seechung

Master of ceremonies Dr. Romulo Aromin, president of Eagle Eye Charities Inc, recounted Ctanj’s last solo exhibition, Art & Poetry on Canvas, was held at the Philippine Center in 2004. He read a sonnet about the artist’s Fragments of Abstraction, while Broadway actress Excelsa de Jesus, rendered a monologue of The Grand Central Station and Winter Passion, written in a scroll and gifted to everyone. It is part of the love sonnets written in 14 lyrical stanzas capturing vibrant imagery and music one can almost hear. Listen to the reading.

After sharing moments of passionate poetry reading, and a serenade from the songbird Excelsa De Jesus, the exhibition presented a surprise number, a fun collaboration of art, fashion and performance as fashion empressarios Bessie Besana and Velzon Hizon Velez staged a catwalk. A segment of the show can be viewed at https://youtu.be/q9gcC_Gj6hM

For the first time in art exhibitions, Carol Tanjutco introduced Art on the Catwalk, with designer Bessie Besana, known for dressing Philippine stars and beauty queens, in support of his debut establishing his brand in New York. His Fall-Winter travel collection were presented while highlighting 12 of Ctanj smaller oil paintings executed en plein air in Caribbean and European cities. A silent auction followed for the benefit of Eagle Eye Charities Inc.

Bessie Besana (4th from left) launches his brand in New York with a Fall-Winter Travel collection modeled by (L-R) Johanna Marie Alonzo, Kelly Vergara , Mizael Becerra , Allyson Palo , Baron Andrews and Juliet Petion. INQUIRER/Porsha Seechung

Strutting the catwalk are art afficionados Johanna Marie Alonzo and Velzon Hizon Velez models Kelly Vergara, Mizael Becerra, Allyson Palo, Baron Andrews and Juliet Petion. At the end of the show, a raffle of small works was held for donors, while all next-gen supporters received author’s copy of the book written by the artist herself, ABCs of Investing For Gen XYZ, in her quest to guide the future generation to become financially savvy individuals.

Travelogue: Journeys of a Renaissance Woman exhibition concluded on Nov. 26, 2021 at Philippine Center gallery, Fifth Avenue, NYC. For more information about the exhibit and future art and poetry events, follow the artist’s nonprofit website: https://eaglecharities.org/carol-tanjutco