Roberto Chabet, known today as the Father of Philippine Conceptual Art and an avid supporter of young, promising artists, began introducing his pioneering ideas through drawing in the 1960s. On view at West Gallery in SM Megamall are 25 of his ink drawings on paper. All were done in 1964, giving us a glimpse into what fascinated Chabet during that time. Chabet took interest into what is now also called as “thinking outside the box,” experimenting using only ink and his imagination as his tools. To him, it is all about the idea. Form, taking many shapes and sizes, only supports the idea, which is not confined to one specific explanation, but a wide horizon of possibilities. His 1964 drawings take that route, as what spoke to him loudly four decades ago might have changed. Still, his playful strokes inspire new perspectives. Everyone is free to interpret what he or she sees in the drawings, depending on his or her wealth of experiences. While wearing many hats as professor, curator, and artist throughout his long and productive career, he never relented in producing what was and still is provoking questions as to how art is created and seen. Chabet once described his works as “creatures of memory,” and himself as their custodian. He makes, gathers, and encourages art that is worth keeping. Born in Manila in 1937, Chabet has organized many exhibitions on contemporary art, mostly by artists who were his students at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he taught for more than 30 years. He was also the first Museum Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and initiated the prestigious Thirteen Artist Award, which gives recognition to outstanding young artists.
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