Bong Brillante

Ferdinand Doctolero

Leonilo Doloricon

Luis Martin Harder

Joselito Ruga

Renato Silbol

TUP-PCAT Alumni hold Retrospection at One Workshop Gallery

Eight of the best and brightest of Philippine College of Arts and Trades High School (PCAT) now Technological University of the Philippines’ (TUP) pay homage to their alma mater in a group exhibition titled “Retrospection.” Bong Brilliante, Rossano Capili, Ferdinand Doctolero, Leonilo O. Doloricon, Luis Martin Harder, Joselito J. Ruga, Noel Em Sadicon and Renato Silbol—all proud alumni of the TUP’s Philippine College of Arts and Trades High School (PCAT) are set to exhibit works representing a wide range of visual arts fields including graphic design, digital art, painting, printmaking, photography and illustration. Presented as a collective expression of love and gratitude for both school and mentors, “Retrospection” opens at 6pm on January 24, 2009.

Accomplished Alumni

Bong Brilliante (Batch `84) trained in drafting at PCAT, which gave him a decided edge at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Diliman, where he majored in Visual Communication. As a graphic designer and illustrator, Brilliante has worked for the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and produced numerous book covers and publications. As a visual artist, he has exhibited alongside his fellow UP Artist’s Circle members, and in shows sponsored by the World Wildlife Foundation.

Rossano Capili or Rosscapili (Batch `76) is a multi-awarded painter, photographer, digital artist, printmaker, art writer and art educator. Upon completion of his studies at PCAT, Capili majored in Advertising at the Philippine Women’s University, and pursued art studies in Australia. Since then, he has mounted more than 35 one-man shows and accumulated more than 55 awards and distinctions in the Philippines and abroad. He is now a member of the Executive Council of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Visual Arts Committee (NCCA) under the Office of The President.

Ferdinand Doctolero (Batch `82) is an award-winning painter, graphic designer and illustrator who teaches at the TUP College of Architecture and Fine Arts. An exhibiting artist since 1978, Doctolero’s works can be found in the permanent collection of museums, banks and private collections. A former exhibition designer for the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, his current affiliations include the UP Artist’s Circle and Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan. As an illustrator, Doctolero has produced several books for children with noteworthy publishers.

Leonilo O. Doloricon (Batch `75) is a painter, printmaker and editorial cartoonist best known for his keen insight into social realist issues. A regular contributor to various publications, Doloricon has also been honoured with the Guillermo Tolentino Professorial Chair at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he majored in Visual Communication, served as Dean, and is now an associate professor. He also has a Master of Arts degree in Philippine Studies from the same university.

Luis Martin Harder (Batch `76) is one of the country’s leading fine art photographers whose work has been featured in the “Timeless” series and other distinguished portfolios. Favouring location shoots around the Philippines and abroad, Harder’s images demonstrate his unique brand of “reality photography.” Thousands of viewers have enjoyed his images via exhibits at venues such as Eastwood City and the SM Mall of Asia. He had his 1st one-man fine-art photography exhibit entitled “Unscripted” at the OneWorkshop Gallery last May 2008.

Joselito J. Ruga (Batch `86) has a BS Chemical Engineering degree from the Mapua Institute of Technology. Though technical account specialist by trade, Ruga remains an artist by calling, resuming his passion for the visual arts he once pursued as a child participant in painting competitions. Today, he balances his work in the fields of graphic art, plastics and agro solutions with his photography, where he continues to create images that awe and inspire. He won 2nd place in the Amateur Division in Photocontest at SM Megamall last Dec. 3, 2008.

Noel Em Sadicon (Batch `87) is a multi-faceted designer whose work involves product, graphic, furniture and exhibition design. Sadicon is a faculty member of the School of Architecture and Industrial Design of the Mapua Institute of Technology, where he earned his Industrial Design degree in 1991. A previous winner of the prestigious Shell National Student Art Competition, he has participated in various group shows including the Tubig Kulay exhibition at the Megamall Art Center.

Renato Silbol (Batch `78) has come a long way since his Drafting studies at PCAT and his graduation from TUP. Known for his refined artistic sensibilities and his meticulous attention to detail, Silbol has made a name for himself as an illustrator and graphic designer. His current collaboration with an interior designer has given him new avenues for creative expression via furniture design.

A Way of “Giving Back”

Since the closing of PCAT in 1988, the school’s alumni have always felt a deep sense of belonging and nostalgia born of their common history. The PSAT PCAT TUP High School Alumni Association (PPTHSAA) keeps this spirit alive with projects such as the “Iskolar ng Bayan” program and the “Dream Project” which has revitalized the TUP campus. All eight “Retrospection” artists will be donating all exhibit proceeds to the PPTHSAA’s “Iskolar at Guro ng Bayan” program which supports needy students and mentors.

Highlights at the January 24 opening of “Retrospection” include recognition ceremonies for the artists’ mentors, as well as the observance of PSAT Batch `69’s fortieth anniversary—the batch’s first reunion since graduation.
“Retrospection” runs until February 7, 2009