Enderun Colleges brought together aspiring and established architects, interior designers, and multimedia artists in its annual College of Architecture and Design (CAD) Fiesta, held on May 19 at the Enderun Tent. In partnership with BluPrint, the symposium featured three renowned creatives to highlight the theme “Behind the Scenes: The Art of Space & Storytelling.” IDr. […]
Undeniably this generation’s best-selling artist, National Artist for Visual Arts Ben “BenCab” Cabrera has lent his work once more to a different type of canvas – Moooi carpets. His third and latest collaboration with the Dutch company led to a well-attended exhibit at The Peninsula Manila. Eight impressive large-scale tapestries bore his iconic characters Sabel and Isadora.
Abitare Internazionale, a family-run company distributing fine contemporary European furniture, collaborated with Bencab to reproduce his original artwork as tapestries made by Moooi Carpets. They also display the tapestries at their showroom, accessible by appointment for interested parties.
Moooi Carpets uses state-of-the-art technology to be able to transfer Bencab’s artwork onto their carpets. Martien Valentijn, CEO of Moooi Carpets, describes the special printer of enormous proportions to make this process possible. “The Chromojet printer is basically a 100 meter long printer that’s 4 meters wide. We print under high pressure. From left to right the printer is using 3,000 nozzles to print dots at exactly the right moment and spot.”
The carpets used for the Bencab x Moooi collaboration are a low pile polyamide acrylic. It’s a material that’s naturally stain resistant and hard wearing. A close look at the carpets shows Bencab’s artwork printed in high-definition, with every stroke of the original conveyed precisely with accurate tones.
The largest artwork, entitled “Sette Movimenti”, shows a group of seven women in colorful, voluminous clothing. “Isidora’s Dance” also features seven women against cooler shades of blue. Each figure is dancing with graceful lines that are all interpreted with integrity onto the carpets. The “Madonna IV” – a mother wrapping a child in an embrace – is an impressive version with every small stroke reflected onto the tapestry. Bencab’s most well-known Sabel – a series he’s been painting since 1964 – is featured in a tryptych.
“When we started with Moooi Carpets and we discussed it with founder Marcel Wanders we saw [the carpet] as a canvas for designers for the design industry where they can do anything they want,” says Valentijn. “There’s no limitation in colors. Definition is much much higher now so you can print any photo or realistic design on the canvas. This enables designers to do anything they want, especially art.”
These Bencab x Moooi carpets are a welcome addition to fans of Bencab or art collectors in general. “In 2015, Bencab’s “Sabel” fetched PHP 46.72 million at León Gallery’s Magnificent September Auction…” as per Abitare Internazionale, they have received directives from Bencab not to disclose detailed amounts of his work, especially from previous auctions. It’s no wonder why so many are jumping at this chance to add this limited series to their collection.
Read more: Fusing Old and New: National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera
Lamina: A Curated Lifestyle Fair was a three-day event held at City of Dreams Manila from May 2 to 4, spotlighting the latest trends in art, fashion, and design. A collaboration between ManilArt Foundation and the Bayo Atelier Foundation, the event features modern contemporary designs and art couture rooted in sustainability and heritage—offering functional, stylish […]
Our world stands at a critical juncture, facing the dual pressures of a construction industry reliant on carbon-intensive materials and a climate that grows more volatile each year. This reality necessitates a fundamental pivot in architectural thinking—a move towards designs that are both ecologically conscious and inherently resilient. In this urgent search for a new […]
It began with a single voice, unaccompanied, unornamented. On June 7, as the sun dipped toward late afternoon at Expo 2025 Osaka, a woman stepped onto the stage in full T’boli ceremonial attire. The venue: the Ray Garden, an airy, glass-clad hall designed as a gathering space for National Day performances—a “garden of rays”—a metaphor […]
In anticipation of the Festival des Architectures Vives (FAV) 2025 on June 10-15, WTA Architecture and Design Studio stands among the 10 finalists to transform iconic landmarks in Montpellier, France. Revolving around the theme of “La Gourmandise,” the San Juan-based team will showcase “The Value of Chocolate” at the 15th century private mansion Hôtel de […]
The Flower Eaters, an exhibition by Laki Mata at Space Encounters Gallery, performs a fascinating spin of an ancient story to make it fit in modern times. This new exhibit pinned its concept on the myth of the Lotus Eaters from Homer’s The Odyssey, with the artist utilizing it as both social commentary and as […]
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