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Fernando Zóbel Centennial Collection Debuts in Ateneo Art Gallery
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The Ateneo Art Gallery debuted the Fernando Zóbel Centennial Collection on May 5, done in collaboration with local artist platform The Art House for Zóbel’s birth centennial. It contains a line of giftable and usable merchandise items which includes artworks from the artist.
This was presented by Ateneo Art Gallery’s director and chief curator Ma. Victoria “Boots” Herrera and The Art House founder Carlo Pineda in front of the gallery’s currently running exhibition celebrating the artworks of Zóbel and his contemporaries, A Synergy of Ventures.
During the launch, both emphasized how the collection opens a gateway for a new generation of Filipinos to engage with the artist’s legacy—making his work more accessible, resonant, and timely than ever. More than that, there’s also a hope that the choice of artwork would help put a spotlight on other aspects of Zóbel’s craft and history to the masses.
![[From left] Ateneo Art Gallery director Boots Herrera, The Art House founder Carlo Pineda, with Alejandro and Beltran Zobel Padilla.](https://assets.bluprint-onemega.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Boots-Herrera-Carlo-Pineda-with-Alejandro-and-Beltran-Zobel-Padilla.webp "- BluPrint")
“ I think what’s also very important is this collaboration allows us to educate the younger generation,” Pineda said. “That’s one of our goals: to make art more available, more affordable for them as well. And by doing that, we’re hoping that they will be the future art patrons of the Philippines.”
“I think what’s important is also key [to the project]: our choice for the artworks to be featured in this merchandise line brings our attention to other facets of his practice as a researcher, as a historian and academic, and also [as a] printmaker,” Herrera said.
Preserving the Legacy of Fernando Zóbel
The two institutions have been in discussion of creating the art line together since late last year. Part of the delay came from figuring out which artworks to feature from Fernando Zóbel, and part of it came from curating the choices of merchandise that will best fit his artistic style.
In the end, most of the works by Zóbel featured in the collection were from his travel book when he went to Ilocos. This includes his sketches “Batac Funeral,” “Paoay Church,” “Still Life,” “Glan Soldier,” and more. The choice of the sketches allows for a cleaner, minimalist aesthetic that still highlights the artist’s unique style.
“We wanted to present him also as a traveler, a researcher,” Herrera said. “He was observing his environment. If you look at the travel drawings, he was really quite attentive to small details and—read the inscriptions that he had on the pages. He was describing them like how a researcher, an anthropologist, an art historian, would describe the building.”
Locally-Made Gifts and Products
These drawings were applied to a series of “gifting and novelty items” that most people can use on a daily basis. This includes phone stands, acrylic coasters, umbrellas, laptop stands, and notecards which feature the artworks prominently in the collection.
For works like the phone stand or the umbrellas, they utilized a monochrome style that transplants the drawings well without clashing significantly with its tone. The notecards feature closer reproductions of the works, showing more of its color and form.
“I remember when we were talking about acrylic boxes,” Herrera said. “Carlo described to us how the image would be executed. And he said it could be laser cut. Ideally, it should be linear, it should be a graphic work. So we really wanted to make sure that the way the image artwork is reproduced fits with the technique.”
All of these products are locally-sourced and -made, with Pineda declaring that their choice of local suppliers demonstrate its quality and consistency to produce these materials to scale. “Our products are proudly Philippine made,” he said. “True to our DNA, we are always finding ways to involve the local community into this circular ecosystem—this is especially true even for our merchandise.”
Accessible Art For All
The Art House and Ateneo Art Gallery are planning on rolling out more products for the Fernando Zóbel Centennial Collection. This includes undated planners, bucket hats, and other accessories that feature Zóbel’s work.
All royalties from the artworks used will be donated to the gallery, which has earmarked the funds for “maintaining the collection.” Meanwhile, Pineda sees this project as a springboard for further collaborations with the education sector to open up more outreach opportunities targeted towards students.
“Through gifting, travel and novelty items, we endeavor to educate a younger audience,” Pineda shared. “This also opens new ways for us to engage with communities.”
The current line of merchandise is available at the Ateneo Art Gallery’s museum shop. These products will be rolled out in further locations that are to be announced within the year.
Photos provided for by the organizers.
Related reading: ‘Lakbay: Voyages Into the Absolute’ and the Legacy of Nena Saguil
Frequently Asked Questions
The Fernando Zóbel Centennial Collection is a collaborative merchandise line between the Ateneo Art Gallery and local platform The Art House, launched to celebrate the artist’s birth centennial. It features a range of giftable and usable items, such as phone stands, umbrellas, and notecards, all adorned with Zóbel’s iconic sketches. The initiative aims to make the legacy of this Filipino master more accessible and affordable for a new generation of art patrons.
The collection primarily showcases sketches from Zóbel’s travel book during his time in Ilocos, including works like “Batac Funeral,” “Paoay Church,” and “Glan Soldier.” These travel drawings were chosen to highlight his meticulous nature as a researcher, historian, and anthropologist. By featuring these minimalist, linear sketches, the collection brings attention to Zóbel’s keen observation of his environment and his background in academic and historical documentation.
By transforming high art into functional, everyday novelty items, the collection serves as a gateway for younger audiences to engage with Philippine art history outside of a traditional museum setting. The Art House founder Carlo Pineda emphasizes that making art affordable and available helps nurture future art patrons. This approach translates Zóbel’s sophisticated legacy into a resonant, timely format that encourages students and young professionals to explore his multifaceted career.
All products in the collection are proudly locally sourced and made in the Philippines to support a circular ecosystem within the local community. The Art House ensures that the reproduction techniques, such as laser-cutting for acrylic items, specifically complement the graphic and linear nature of Zóbel’s original sketches. This commitment to local production demonstrates the high quality and consistency that Filipino suppliers can achieve when producing artisanal merchandise at scale.
The current line is available at the Ateneo Art Gallery’s museum shop, with more locations to be announced throughout the centennial year. All royalties generated from the sale of these items are donated back to the gallery to fund the maintenance and preservation of its permanent collection. This ensures that the purchase of a simple gift like a laptop stand or coaster directly contributes to the long-term conservation of Filipino artistic heritage.
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