Shell Pilipinas Corporation’s National Students Art Competition (NSAC) has been the breeding ground for many of the country’s top artists, with luminaries such as Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Juvenal Sanso, Jan Leeroy New, Luis Yee Jr., and many more being some of the winners during their youth.
Since 1951, Shell NSAC has been serving as a platform to celebrate the accomplishments and talents of young Filipino artists by developing, testing, and spotlighting their skills.
Around 600-800 students join each year and, since its inception, Shell NSAC has produced 1,175 winners. The competition has also opened multiple opportunities for young Filipino artists in the local and international art scene.
The pursuit of artistic excellence continues in this year’s NSAC with the theme “Galíng Pinoy, Galing Pinoy”. This year’s edition also adds photography as a new category, recognizing the importance of seeing today’s society through the eyes of the youth. “In this digital age, where visual storytelling has become a more powerful medium, we want to provide young photographers with an opportunity to showcase their talents and capture the essence of Filipino ingenuity through their lenses. We are excited to see how this addition will further enrich the diverse tapestry of Shell NSAC submissions,”Serge Bernal, Shell Pilipinas vice president for Corporate Relations said.
The theme aims to focus on Filipino tradition and culture and how artmaking reflects those cultural practices. At the same time, those artworks could become pivotal pieces that may shape culture and tradition in the future.
“It is heartening to see today’s youth — our torchbearers for change and champions of tomorrow — are similarly impassioned by the traditions and practices that have shaped our nation. But our culture has also always been one of innovation and imagination, embracing change and technology so we may always push forward, and it’s that sort of tenacity and brilliance we hope will inspire your art this 2023,”Bernal added.
Aladin Antiqueno, who landed 1st place during the 1992 Shell NSAC, defined the “Galíng Pinoy, Galing Pinoy” theme as “the cultural representation showcasing the values of the Filipino. Yung ang galing ng Filipino.”
“There are many ways art can contribute to nation-building—we can see it in many ways,” affirmed Jan Leeroy New, who was awarded 2nd place for the 2004 & 2006 Shell NSAC.
“With the proper support from the government and organizations, it can become a good way of providing livelihood. Develop the ideologies for the people and create progressive ways of moving forward for the county, for the better.”
“Shell NSAC is a springboard opening more opportunities in the local art scenes and serving as a torch in the dark. The Filipino people share a country of culture and innovation—we at the CCP believe this to be more than an idea,” said Dennis Marasigan, the current vice president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
