Shell Art: Shaping the country’s cache of masterpieces through the youth

MANILA, Philippines - Present art luminaries started out as students once, aspiring to capture the beauty and realism of their experiences and surroundings and to express them in ways that would strike a chord in the hearts of their publics. These include National Artists Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Jose Joya, Ang Kiukok, and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, just to name a few. All these men started out by joining art competitions to hone their skills further.

These art masters are products of the Shell National Students Art Competition (NSAC) which is the country’s longest-running art competition to date. Now in its 48th year, Shell NSAC continues to encourage young Filipino artists to express the varying shades of art in the most innovative ways possible.

“Competitions are essential in molding young artists’ passion to improve their artistry and skills,” notes Michael Cacnio, one of the judges for the Sculpture category at Shell NSAC.  “Joining Shell NSAC can help budding artists push the limits in shaping masterpieces that reflect the spirit of the times.”

This world-class brass sculptor of the social realist genre can vouch for the significance of social investment programs such as Shell NSAC in enriching the vibrant arsenal of Philippine art. His father Angel, one of the country’s most respected visual artists of his time, is a past winner of the competition.

Colleges and universities acknowledge the contributions of art tilts like Shell NSAC in bringing out the best in art students in terms of artistic expression and values.

“The challenge of producing unique artworks allows student-artists to build their character as well,” notes Ferdinand Doctolero, head of the fine arts department at the Technological University of the Philippines (TUP), one of the many universities that frequently send student participants to Shell NSAC.

For decades, Doctolero has supported the art contest and actively encouraged TUP students to participate in the competition. “It’s not just a stepping stone or an opportunity to bring pride to one’s school. It’s also an avenue for the youth to learn patience, discipline and perseverance. They get to know other artists and learn from them. They can use these pieces of knowledge to create even better works in the future.” 

The masterpieces of the times reflect how Philippine art is now evolving. For visual artist Renato Habulan — one of the judges for the Watercolor category and one of the most important figures of Philippine social realism — the almost five-decade legacy of Shell NSAC has contributed greatly to the development of the country’s artistic landscape.

“The competition takes a different theme every year and has a variety of categories for student-artists to take part in,” says Habulan. “It encourages the youth to explore different art forms, look deeper for one-of-a-kind subjects and stories, and most importantly, challenges them to become better versions of themselves as people and as artists.”

Young, budding artists can choose their art medium and submit their works in the categories of Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Sculpture and the Digital Fine Arts and Digital Short Film which are both under the Multimedia Arts category. The Digital Short Film category was created only last year in answer to the increasing relevance of filmmaking in today’s digital age.

“Prestigious competitions such as Shell NSAC encourage student-artists to dream bigger and find their artistic niche. As a judge, I’m very proud to be witnessing firsthand how art reflects the socio-economic realities and prevalent sentiments of today’s generation,” remarks Habulan.

As today’s standards call for great storytelling and impeccable crafting as the components of a true masterpiece, this year’s competition is aptly themed “Highlights” which allows student-artists to eloquently depict the story of their life’s brightest moment.

More details are available via www.shell.com.ph/shell_art or via the fine arts department or the students’ affairs office of participating colleges and universities.