Messenger of the Gods by Duddley Diaz

(This is part 2 of our Vargas Museum special.)

We went in for the exhibit's opening at about four in the afternoon. After simple, unassuming rites, guests came in for the viewing of the Duddley Diaz retrospective. The UP Vargas Museum was laden with a mystical aura as the different works of Mr. Diaz, featuring religious and mythological figures, were unveiled for the public.

Duddley Diaz's works could be considered as a juxtaposition of the mythological and the mystical, as well as a chronicle of his journey towards portraying more universal symbols of faith and religiosity. As a child, Diaz busied himself with figures of Catholic saints and characters through clay and other materials. Noticing his fledging skills and interest in religious figures, he soon made more complex works of sculpture that reflect his innate faith and religiosity. Throughout his life, as a UP scholar, an artist, and an expatriate in Italy, he soon developed an interest in local mythological figures, which at the present, form the core of his more universal message. The current retrospective in Vargas Museum, at the present, features all of his works from childhood until the present, a career spanning for more or less 40 years.

After a viewing of Mr. Diaz's retrospective, we proceeded for some cocktails, which were provided for by Ralph's wine house and Cafe Iana. We especially enjoyed their tortilla chips with creamy spinach dip. While the beef kebabs weren't particularly tender, the other items such as the small pizza slices and the fruit skewers were just right. Washed down with their red iced tea, the menu for the cocktails was just OK. 

We left Vargas at about 5:30 in the afternoon, having satisfied ourselves with a bit of their menu, as well as the art pieces we have seen. Indeed, art and food do make a great combination; and these two, enjoyed with friends, truly satisfies the mind and spirit (as well as the stomach).

Messenger of the Gods by Duddley Diaz runs from 08 August – 30 October 2009 at the UP Jorge B. Vargas Museum. The Museum is open from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM from Tuesday to Sunday. Check out http://www.vargasmuseum.org for more details.