by Dr. Reuben Ramas Cañete

Mystifying women swirling pearlized gowns with classic grace and aplomb; rapid-fire ink drawings of danseuses in dramatic stances that remind one of the primeval struggle between matadors and bulls at a Spanish corrida; and gracefully lithe arms and legs that hang in mid-air, or defiantly tiptoe on the mirror ground with a defiance of gravity that only a professional ballerina could maintain. These and more award the patient and observant viewer of Danse, the new solo exhibition of sculptor Ferdinand Cacnio at the Alliance Total Gallery, Alliance Française de Manille, from May 19 to June 15, 2009.

Featuring his trademark brass tabletop statues with polychromed finishes for clothes, Cacnio’s bevy of graceful dames are put through their paces as spiritual manifestations of Cacnio’s most treasured youthful memory: of dancing the night away. Elevated to a highly classical art form that relies on discipline, experience, and the willingness to push the envelope, Cacnio’s be-gowned dancers enact a veritable bolero of highly methodical, athletic, and yet exuberant poses that links the classical traditions of the past with the daring and energy of the modern present. Comparable to the danseur sculptures of Edgar Degas and Rene Lalique, Ferdinand Cacnio’s mastery of artistic form and dance aesthetics shows in his daring and yet thoroughly-balanced rendition of modern-gowned ballet dancers, whose powerful stances are belied by the soft billowing forms of their gown’s folds and pleats; and of the wonderful opposition between the metallic golden brass of their heads, shoulders, feet, and legs; and the lush, opalescent colours  of their gowns, which segue from dove white, to fiery mustard yellow, fluid spring green, and sensual lilac. Ferdinand Cacnio’s ink drawings, executed with the speed and certainty of an artist with a comprehensive dancer’s background, captures the feminine essence of his subject, and unifies the search for excellent expression between the eye and hand of the artist, and the soul of his vigorous and yet restrained subject.

Ferdinand R. Cacnio is, in essence, a visual artist.  He finished his studies at the University of the Philippines with degrees in B.S. Psychology and B.S. Civil Engineering.  Although he had no formal training in the arts, he has been nurtured in the aesthetics of fine arts since childhood with the mentoring of his artist-father and members of the Philippine art world. This led him first to a fruitful 20-year career in graphic design as Creative Director of his Atelier Cacnio. In 2005, Ferdinand’s official career as a sculptor started with a successful solo sculpture exhibit “The Dancer.” In that same year, he bagged an award from the Art Association of the Philippines. His passion has produced five solo sculpture exhibits and participation in a number of group shows that have caught the attention of art collectors and the elusive approval of well-respected art critics.

The Danse exhibition at AFM marks a return to a subject close to the artist’s heart – dance – executed masterfully, romantic yet powerful. This time, the brass/metal sculptures share the exhibit space with a collection of his elegant acrylic on paper paintings.

Cacnio’s acrylic on paper paintings were framed in brass by TREB Frame Mouldings, complimenting his remarkable sculpture artworks.

Ferdinand R. Cacnio opens his latest exhibit Danse at the Alliance Française de Manille, at 209 Nicanor Garcia Street (formerly Reposo Street), Bel-Air 2, Makati City. The artist’s reception shall be on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at Alliance Française de Manille’s Total Gallery. Exhibit ends on June 15, 2009.