Edwin Wilwayco (b. 1952)
Untitled (Birds of Paradise Series)
signed and dated 1991 (lower right)
oil on canvas
28" x 24" (71 cm x 61 cm)







For renowned artist Edwin Wilwayco, abstraction is the idiom in which he could best express himself. The master abstractionist is best known for his impressive artistic explorations, trademark brushwork, gestural marks, and engaging chromatics. In his many thematic series, local culture, nationalism, and spirituality—also his focus on music and nature—are taken upon with his distinct vocabulary of color, form, and movement.One Saturday, Wilwayco saw his wife planting birds of paradise on the vacant lot which became a garden. Fascinated by this plant of multifaceted motion, Wilwayco then captured the unique stages of its growth through his signature lyrical abstraction, resulting in his 1990s Birds of Paradise series. His refreshing perspective on his lush subject is expressed by engaging abstract forms and captivating evergreen tropical color palette, as evident in this particular piece. This is one of his notable works out of his artistic shift from depicting the jeepney to birds of paradise, deconstructing and reconstructing the subject’s form out of second-nature intuition. The seasoned master was under top abstractionists during his student days in the UP Fine Arts, among which is Dean Jose Joya. Art critic Cid Reyes wrote: “After over three decades of sustained dedication to abstract painting, Edwin Wilwayco has emerged, in my estimation, as the rightful artistic heir to the late National Artist José Joya, pioneer of Abstract Expressionism in the country.” (J.D.)