Cacnio: 'Uplift' scuplture not a copy
MANILA, Philippines — Visual artist Ferdinand Cacnio has denied that his “Uplift” sculpture, which some have called a female version of the iconic Oblation, was copied from a sculpture in the Netherlands.
“#UPLIFT is my own creation,” Cacnio said addressing allegations of plagiarism that some netizens have raised.
After photos of the sculpture circulated online, Lei Lois Tolentino Azarcon also posted a photo on social media comparing Cacnio’s sculpture with a figure that formed part of Dutch artist Elisabet Bea Stienstra’s 2001 sculpture Virgins of Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.
The netizen noted similarities between the artworks as both were female figures freely lying down while floating. They however, differ on the materials used.
Cacnio used brass while the Stienstra used bronze. The woman in Stienstra’s sculpture is clothed while Cacnio's is not.
In response, Cacnio took to Facebook to defend his sculpture, which was donated by his batch to the University of the Philippines. It is displayed in front of Villamor Hall in the Diliman campus.
“Before today, I had never seen nor heard of Ms. Stienstra or her work. Hindi ko siya kilala. We've never been to the Netherlands. I was not inspired by her, I did not model my work after hers,” Cacnio wrote.
“I am not guilty of plagiarizing or copying her work, 'Virgins of Apeldoorn'," he added.
According to Juxtapoz magazine, Stienstra’s Virgins of Apeldoorn features three bronze statues of women floating over a park in the Netherlands. Cacnio's Uplift has yet to be officially unveiled.
- Latest
- Trending