COVER Story and ART for CAUSE
A Filipina’s artistic voice echoing persistence, patience, passion for her art, accentuating a sense of adventure, tempered by discipline and faith.
Multi-awarded and recognized Filipina artist Maia Magpantay from Angono, Rizal is a palette knife painter. She paints in oil using the palette knife. Maia expresses her simple imaginative art through vibrant coloration with roughening strokes and textures. Her interest in the simplicity of shapes and unique colorful fetes is her depiction of the celebration and modesty of life.
After bagging memorable awards for her artistic prowess, backed by a Fine Arts degree from Far Eastern University, Sampaloc Manila in 1998, her palette knife has been producing art pieces that found exquisite value in the legendary art historian Manny Duldulao’s book publication Philippine Art Now and in the pages of the Great Theme of Philippine Art: Mother and Child by the same art critique and author.
Prolific and achieving in her field, Maia was awarded Artist of the Year by the Municipality of Angono for excellence in art in 2004, and Outstanding Youth of Angono by the Local Government Youth Organization in 2007.
"I don’t care about people neither criticizing my paintings nor disapproving it. I work for the Lord and not for them. I just paint. Moreover, I learned through my experience that while the painting was rejected, its value increases. Therefore, rejection is a blessing. As Apostle Paul said in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily for the Lord and not for men. “ – maia
Maia Magpantay’s name as an artist consolidated as she entered competitions w ith Letra Y Figuras, Filipino Soul Art Competition in Japan and Deovir Art Competition (2003), the Art Association of the Philippines for her realistic painting “Binalot sa Katotohanan” (2003) - a man wrapped in a plastic sheet, depicting the lives of some people who live in a hypocritical world, the Concrete Aggregates Open Art Competition (2002-2003) and Pagalingan Pinay (2009).
Her artworks have been widely recognized from the 8 solo exhibitions she created in Manila, BGC and Art Center, and from her 7 distinct major shows in various galleries, together with groups of art exhibitors from 1995 until now. She was featured in Good Morning Boss, in PTV 4 (2009), Personage (2013) with Ms. Carla Lizardo and in Bagong Pilipinas, Pop Art (2019).
Spurred by her art, Maia joined the Angono Ateliers Association (2000), where she became Secretary (2002-2005) and Vice President (2006). Her memberships include the Art Association of the Philippines (2000-2005), the Tuesday Group Association (2008-2010), The Aquarellist (2012) and the Art Wednesday Group (2015), where she was elected Secretary (2016 – 2018).
Maia as artist was engaged as juror in various art competitions in Rizal namely, the Lion’s Club Poster Making Contest in TayTay, Parol Making Competition in Tanay, Interschool Art Competition in Pililla Rizal and World Art Experience Art Competition in Angono. She participated as a Facilitator of Water Color Therapy Session in Gateway (2017), Art for the Deaf, and Summer Art Workshop, Angono Artist Gallery (2004).
Stockholm-based Roots and Wings, the award-winning and longest running Filipino Magazine in Europe is proud to feature Maia on our magazine cover again. Editor
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