College of Fine Arts and Design Regent Rev. Fr. Edgardo D. Alaurin, O.P., in a back-to-back event, launched his book and opened his exhibit on October 15, 2019 at the UST Museum.
The book, titled “Nuestra Señora de Salvacion: History, Theology, Piety” (Our Lady of Salvation), is an offshoot of Fr. Alaurin’s research of a miraculous 18th century image of the Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de Salvacion, which is also known as Our Lady of Light. Currently the heavenly patroness of Albay, the image was first venerated in Joroan, now part of Tiwi, Albay in Region V.
The Blessed Mother is known by many different titles, epithets, and other names, as explained by Fr. Alaurin. These titles include Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) and Stella Matutina (Morning Star), which signify Mary’s role as the guiding light toward Christ.
It is these roles of the Blessed Mother that served as inspiration for the pipe sculptures featured in “Lumen Ténebras Vincit.” It seeks to honor through the use of steel and light fixtures. Fr. Alaurin’s pipe sculpture exhibit titled “Lumen Ténebras Vincit!” (Light Conquers Darkness) also mounted at the UST Museum, was opened on the same day.
The pipe sculpture exhibit, which runs until November 15, 2019, consists of 19 sculptures with “Our Lady of Light and Salvation” appearing to greet the exhibition guests because it is the first artwork that they encounter upon entrance. A beautiful interpretation of Our Lady, the pipe sculpture shows a child being carried by the Lady on one hand and another child apparently being lifted as if being saved by the Lady with her other hand.
Most of the assemblage measure 28” x 9” x 10” mounted on a wooden plank. Some of the eye-catching artworks were: Justitia with the scale, Sir Lance-bot with the sword and shield, and movie-inspired Lastik-bot, Roo-bot, Kingkong-bot. There were also those whose creation was inspired by religion such as the Santo Pescador (The Holy Fisherman), Niño Pastor (The Shepherd Boy), and Pastor Bonus (The Good Shepherd).
There was a noticeable recurrence of those that fish or those that deal with water such as the Fisher-bot, Fishing-bot, Santo Pescador, the Pail Boy and the Aqua- bot.
Gracing the event were the Dominican Province of the Philippines Prior Provincial and UST Vice Chancellor Very Rev. Fr. Napoleon B. Sipalay, Jr., O.P and UST Rector Very Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P. It was also attended by Dominican priests from UST and Bahay Dominiko, University administrators and academic officials, faculty members, alumni, and the family and friends of the author-artist.
