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RAM: Nature’s Abundance is the Orlina Family’s Collaborative MoCAF Exhibit
RAM: Nature’s Abundance ran from July 11 to 13 at the Marquis Events Place at Bonifacio Global City as a special exhibition for the 2025 Modern and Contemporary Art Festival (MoCAF). It features a collection of glass sculptures from the three members of the Orlina Family: the patriarch Ramon, and his two children Anna and Michael. RAM was beautifully curated by art aficionado and space curator Glenn Cuevo and stood out as a highlight of the 2025 MoCAF.
Showcasing the unique position the Orlina Family has in Philippine art, RAM: Nature’s Abundance is a thorough amalgamation of their legacy in glass. It offered a portrait of each of three Orlina’s individual skillsets and interests, coming together as a whole to portray their collective contributions.
“The title ‘RAM’ represents the initials of each artist—Ramon, Anna, and Michael—interwoven as an acronym that reflects both their artistic connection and familial bond,” the exhibit write-up said.
Connecting with Nature
As the title implies, the exhibit showcases nature inspired works from all three of the family members, but with their own signature approach.
Ramon Orlina’s advocacy for the environment is well known: beyond being a fascination expressed in his art, the message of conservation shows his convictions to the betterment of our surroundings for future generations.
“Orlina’s commitment to heritage conservation earned him The Philippine Heritage Award, and his environmental efforts were acknowledged with The Green Gala Award in the previous year,” his biography said.
Orlina, as the pioneer of glass sculpture in the Philippines, wields the medium with exactness as he attempts to closely replicate the aesthetic appearance of different nature-based objects in the glass medium. His seven works in the exhibit portray the unique possibilities of the art form.
“[Orlina] presents three major new works created exclusively for MoCAF: ‘Single Rose,’ ‘Green Rose,’ and ‘Tubo,’” the exhibit write-up said. “Since the 1990s, Ramon’s work has often drawn inspiration from foliage and floral forms, capturing nature’s delicate strength in luminous glass.”
Vibrancy in Nature’s Forms
His children are the inheritors of his artistic legacy. While Michael apprentices under his father as the master, Anna has a different approach to her forms. Unlike her self-taught father, she studies different glass sculpting techniques from abroad in the United States and specifically, the Czech Republic. Michael has also had the opportunity to study the international standards and techniques in schools in the United States and is starting to use this in his art as well.
Anna leans into the vibrancy of glass, combining multiple colors and playing with opacity to create something towering and lively. She has worked in other mediums outside of glass as well, which informs her colorful iconography.
Her work for RAM: Nature’s Abundance—the “Moana” and the “Under the Sea” series—was inspired by her experiences in scuba diving. “With ingenuity and ecological mindfulness, she repurposes excess colored glass from her father’s studio—laminating and transforming them into vibrant forms,” the exhibit write-up said.
Michael’s work, meanwhile, tends to be more abstract, playing with shapes to create something more suggestive than concrete.
“Michael aims to experiment and find new ways to present his own unique form of glass sculpture,” his biography said. “He implements the use of texture with the transparent nature of the glass to bring out shapes and illusions that mesmerize the viewer.”
For RAM: Nature’s Abundance, he contributed “Push and Pull” and “Deep Dive,” also looking to the ocean for inspiration. “[Michael Orlina’s] works in this exhibition celebrate the interconnectedness of natural elements, inviting viewers to contemplate the rhythms and forces of the world around us,” the exhibit write-up said.
The Possibilities of Glass
Altogether, RAM: Nature’s Abundance highlighted the essentialness of the Orlina Family’s artistic impulses in the local art scene today. Their collective works helped usher in a dynamic representation of the opportunities shown in the medium of glass.
It expands beyond the traditional hallmarks of Philippine sculpture to something brighter and effervescent, utilizing the same themes and ideas as the artists of old while providing a new spin on the subject matter.
Photos by Ed Simon.
Frequently Asked Questions
The title “RAM” is an acronym representing the first names of the three featured artists: Ramon, Anna, and Michael. This naming convention highlights the artistic connection and deep familial bond between the patriarch and his children. It serves as a symbolic thread that weaves together their individual legacies into a unified collection, celebrating their collective contribution to the Philippine glass sculpture scene.
Ramon Orlina uses his mastery of glass to replicate delicate foliage and floral forms, such as the exclusive pieces “Single Rose” and “Green Rose.” His art serves as a visual manifestation of his commitment to heritage and environmental conservation, for which he has received prestigious honors. By capturing nature’s strength in luminous glass, he encourages viewers to value and protect the natural world for future generations.
While her father is a pioneer of the medium in the Philippines, Anna has refined her skills through formal international studies in the United States and the Czech Republic. Her approach leans into high vibrancy, combining multiple colors and playing with opacity. Notably, she practices ecological mindfulness by repurposing excess colored glass from her father’s studio, laminating them into towering, lively forms inspired by her scuba diving experiences.
Michael’s contributions, such as “Push and Pull” and “Deep Dive,” lean toward abstraction rather than concrete replication of nature. He focuses on experimenting with texture and the transparent properties of glass to create mesmerizing shapes and optical illusions. His work invites viewers to contemplate the rhythmic forces of the natural world through suggestive forms that celebrate the interconnectedness of various environmental elements.
A common mistake is overlooking the role of lighting and viewing angles, which are crucial for appreciating the “mesmerizing illusions” and transparency of glass art. Collectors should also be aware that modern glass sculpture, like the Orlinas’, requires a different appreciation for material than traditional wood or stone. Maintaining the “luminous” quality of the glass through proper placement is essential to preserving the vibrant colors and intricate textures intended by the artists.
Related reading: ‘Shifting Reality’: The Debut Exhibit of Michael Orlina
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