Press Release

The Victor and Julian Oteyza Show “ Tatay at Anak”
Philippine Center, New York, NY
September 25 – Oct 6, 2006
Opening Reception – Monday, September 25, 2006

The Victor and Julian Oteyza exhibit, which celebrates the centennial year celebrating the arrival of Filipinos in the United States, opened with welcoming remarks from Deputy Counsul General Melita Santa Maria Thomeczek at the Philippine Center in New York. The theme for this exhibit emerged last December when Julian Oteyza visited Hawaii. He reconnected with the energy and life force of the island – possibly the magical energy of the Sakadas who arrived in Hawaii 100 years ago. The memories that were evoked led to the creation of a timeline – individual frames capturing time - celebrating the Philippine American experience in representational artwork. The most significant outcome of reconnecting with Julian’s heritage was that he began to see the work of his father, Victor Oteyza as an integral element to be included in any timeline highlighting the Philippine American experience.

Victor Oteyza was one of the 13 moderns who began the modern art movement in the Philippines. The 13 moderns ushered in Philippine modern art during the postwar years and to this day The Philippine Cultural Center of the Philippines continues to give the Thirteen Awards to young artists in honor of these pioneers. The only surviving “Modern” is Manuel Rodriguez who lives in New York.

Victor was an avid journalist who chronicled his every movement. Actual pages of his journals that relate to his view and experience with art and philosophy. In his words in 1975, “The unrolling of art history in this century and what the different monuments of it and their key artifacts are reaching for, is really what I sought.” “I ask if the art I’m pursuing is still valid in the world I view?”

He learned the Mandarin language, was a playwright and director of dramas, like Gulong ng Palad and Tawag Ng Tanghalan and shown in the Metropolitan Opera House; he composed music; loved math, physics, and chemistry. His work originated from extensive study in philosophy and was a physical manifestation to portray the creativity of the modern (1950s) Filipino that broke the mold of artistic expression.

Julian’s life experience also began in the Philippines and emerged from his innate curiosity and inventive streak that led him to create his own style of expression on canvas, in sculpture and in the patent he holds for his invention. Julian’s “Time Frame” wall begins with memories of the Igorots, the Pandango sa Ilaw, every day experiences while growing up in the Philippines.

In June 1975 Victor wrote of an exhibit at Galarie Bleue, Manila showcasing his art work. “I am happy to see that I was covered more thoroughly then I had hoped. To make known to my countrymen that there was again a Victor Oteyza, a painter, back in the scene was my most important aim in the exhibition. This single fling will, to be sure, be meaningful only to the people who had known me. It will take repeated and more powerful publicity to penetrate to those outside to seek it, myself. Anyway, I’m just hoping that my painting will be meaningful to my country someday and such meaningfulness need not depend on huckstering publicity.” On June 28th 1975 he received a letter from his sister Gene that (in his words) “Raised higher the state of euphoria awakened in me by the wealth of publicity my exhibition got. One reason for this is a published comment of an art-critic in the Philippines that I was a fine artist but was lost to the country because I immigrated to the USA.”
Although Victor and Julian immigrated to the United States they continue to this day to honor the homeland in everything that have done and continue to do. Victor was part of the 13 moderns; Julian founded the Brown Strokes on a White Canvas group. Two different generations; two minds; two styles and one time frame that combine to support one goal: “to celebrate eternal life by sharing beauty, color, love, harmony, innovation, creativity, passion, strength, joy, evolution and originality through art that grew from roots in the Philippines and has become global in expression and outreach.”