PRESS RELEASE
PR-074-2022
28 December 2022, Singapore – The Philippine Embassy is pleased to share that the Philippine Botanical Art Society (PhilBAS) showcased the Philippine Flora at the regional juried exhibition entitled “Flora of Southeast Asia” which was jointly organized by the Botanical Art Society (Singapore) and the Singapore Botanic Gardens, in collaboration with the Indonesian Society of Botanical Artists and Thai Botanical Artists.
The exhibit, which was launched on 15 November 2022 and will run until 15 February 2023 at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, showcases the native plant diversity of Southeast Asia with 80 original botanical artworks in the Botanical Art Gallery and 40 additional facsimiles in the People’s Gallery outdoor exhibit spaces of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. A jury selected the top 120 artworks by 85 artists for the exhibit from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, the United Kingdom, USA, Japan, Denmark, UAE, and Canada.
PhilBAS was formed in 2019 to encourage Filipino artists to paint the Philippines’ own native flora in a botanical art style, with the hope of reviving the botanical art form through workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions. PhilBAS has since organized seven (7) botanical art exhibitions featuring only the endemic and indigenous flora of the Philippines. It has also partnered with different government agencies and organizations to promote awareness and conservation of the rich natural heritage of the Philippines.
PhilBAS officials led by Mr. John Rey Callado, co-founder of the PhilBAS and Philippine Fauna Art Society, also paid a courtesy call on Charge d’Affaires Emmanuel R. Fernandez at the Philippine Embassy on 21 November 2022. During the call, CDA Fernandez suggested that PhilBAS consider mounting a Philippine Flora and Fauna mural once the Embassy nears its completion.
Flora of Southeast Asia is a celebration of Southeast Asian native plants such as orchids, shrubs, trees, wetland species, epiphytes, and fungi depicted in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, acrylic, and ink. More information can be found at https://www.botanicalartsocietysingapore.com/exhibitions/flora-of-sea. – END