Gajah Gallery Manila is proud to present In Honor of Form, the first formal presentation of National Artist Benedicto ‘BenCab’ Cabrera’s sculptural practice. Centered on ten bronze sculptures realised in collaboration with Yogya Art Lab (YAL), the gallery’s foundry and production arm, the exhibition brings a new dimension to one of the Philippines’ most enduring artistic practices. A selection of works on loan from the BenCab Museum will also be on view, bringing into focus the subjects and forms that have sustained and evolved over the course of his practice.
Developed over three years, from 2023 to 2026, the new bronze sculptures revisit some of BenCab’s most recognisable figures, giving these forms a renewed physical presence. The characteristic linearity of his paintings carries into the modelling of the figures, while the flowing drapery and rhythmic folds animate the sculptures with a sense of movement. In three dimensions, these figures unfold beyond the picture plane, their contours and gestures taking on a new resonance in space.
BenCab’s movement between mediums has long been integral to his practice. Over the years, he has returned to familiar subjects through different materials, scales and configurations, allowing images and forms to evolve across different media. His sculptural practice continues this trajectory, extending his longstanding exploration of the human figure into three dimensions. BenCab’s engagement with sculpture also has roots in his years at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he studied under sculptor Anastacio Caedo.
Complementing the sculptures is a selection of works spanning different periods of the artist’s career, generously loaned by the BenCab Museum. Together, they place the new bronzes within the broader trajectory of BenCab’s practice, tracing how his recurring subjects have evolved across materials and periods.
With a long history of capturing Filipino identity in his art, BenCab’s tender figures have remained deeply embedded in the national consciousness. In Honor of Form brings these figures into a new spatial and material context, underscoring the enduring force of BenCab’s artistic vision and the intimate gestures and everyday experiences that have made his work so resonant.
