Eduardo Mutuc

EDUARDO MUTUC G AWA D S A M A N L I L I K H A N G B AYA N AWA R D E E

G R A P H I C O R G A N I Z E R P R E S E N T E D B Y:

E M M A N U E L R A F A E L D . M AY U G A

EDUARDO MUTUC METALSMITH & ARTIST October 12, 1949

Eduardo Mutuc is 69 year-old artist from Apalit, Pampanga known for making religious and secular arts. He was a recipient of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living Treasure Award in 2004. Mutuc is reviving the Spanish colonial-era craft of Plateria or Pukpuk. It is a meticulous embossing method that flourished during the Spanish colonial times. He sculpts his detailed artworks like retablos, mirrors, altars, and carosas from silver, bronze, and wood. Some of his works can exceed 40 feet while the others feature smaller size, like cherubin, and delicate craftmanship.

The process of pukpok entails carving a design on a piece of wood, over which Eduardo adds a metal sheet. He then proceeds to emboss the design by pounding the metal gently using a mallet and an old rubber slipper. Afterward, he dips the solid metal sheet in molten silver. He then proceeds to do more hammering and polishing to bring out the details of the piece.

MUTUC'S STUDIO

As an elementary level graduate, he needs to work harder to earn additional income for his family. He was 29 years old, working as a farmer, when he decided to sculpt wood carving where he became an apprentice to furniture carvers. After five years of working, a colleague taught him silver plating which is used in making gold and silver leaves.

CHURCH FIGURINES

DTI's Sikat Pinoy National Art Fair (NAF) Eduardo Mutuc graced the opening of the fair as one of the Special Guests with NAF Curator Albert Avellana.

He notes that handmade pieces are finer and more delicate than machine pressed pieces, particularly when commissioned pieces involve human representations.

“Facial expressions are among the hardest to do” says Mutuc who uses different molds for each cherub to ensure their individuality. His cherubin are engaging creatures, whose strikingly lifelike quality comes through the silverplate.

ART APPRECIATION STRENGTHS

MEDIUM

WOOD, SILVER, & BRONZE

TECHNIQUES

FORCE CONTROL ON HAMMERING

CREATIVE PROCESS

ACCURACY AND SYMMETRY RAMON OBUSAN (BUYER) ART EXHIBITIONS

PERSONS INVOLVED

WEAKNESSES

INABILITY TO REPAIR ONCED CARVED BY MISTAKE INHALATION OF POISONOUS FUMES FROM MOLTEN SILVER MORE ON RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS ONLY N/A

CRUXIFIX IN SPANISH COLONIAL-ERA STYLE

CHURCH FIGURINES

embossed metal art design

The Plancha

Mutuc’s works are more than merely decorative. They add character and splendor to their setting. His spectacular shiny retablos that decorate an apse or chapel provide focus for contemplation and devotion while the faithful commune with the Divine in regular church celebrations.

According to him, craftsmanship begins with respect for one’s tools and the medium. The only way to improve one’s skills, he says, is to immerse oneself, learn the technique, and to practice. Only in perfecting one’s craft can there be real reward.

EDUARDO MUTUC'S ACCESSORIES DESIGN COLLABORATION Manila FAME’s October 2018 edition got a very rare treat with Agsam Fashion Fern Accessories’ special collaborative collection featuring Eduardo Mutuc and Surigao's indigenous weavers. Mutuc parlayed his skills for a limited edition jewelry line that recalls particular moments in the histories of Pampanga and Surigao, where Agsam Fern Fashion Accessories is based. The components were then assembled into necklaces to create a dramatic contrast between Eduardo’s gleaming metal plates and the rustic agsam fern pieces.

A gold-plated pendant set against agsam fern weavings

A bib necklace made from agsam fern and gold-plated pendants

THE END