Baidy Mendoza

Maria Thybaida “Baidy” Mendoza is a Philippine sculptor and potter known for her terra-cotta works. She makes use of indigenous forms and designs such as alibata, folk symbols, and traditional native pottery forms.

Personal Background

In her childhood, she learned to make boxes and dolls with the help of her parents. In high school she sold her creative dolls, hiring people to help her produce up to 80 a day.

Education

She finished high school at St. Joseph’s and graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) with a bachelor of philosophy degree.

She went to Malaysia in 1956 as a lay Catholic missionary, where she had to take the place of the Millhill nuns in attending cultural activities. She began painting and was advised by a priest to study art at Grailville College in Ohio. She took up graduate studies in art in Grailville from 1960-1961, apprenticing under ceramist Bill Shackle. She then went on to continue her studies in art in De Tiltenberg in the Netherlands, finishing in 1962.

Career

After some years of travel, she returned to the Philippines in 1968. Noticing that few Philippine artists used clay as their medium, she decided to focus on it in her own art. Her first exhibits were given good reviews by Alejandro "Anding" Roces y Reyes and she sold many works.

Some of her accomplishments

• 2002 Huling Hapunan outdoor installation, Rizal Park
• 2002 Permanent outdoor installation in collaboration with other artists: Lakbuhay Philippine labyrinth and Ang Daan ng Krus in Kristo at Inang Kalikasan (Ecological Way of the Cross) in Church of the Holy Sacrifice, UP Diliman Circular Garden
• 1999 Designed and created liturgical vessels for a shrine in Boracay.
• 1998 Launched book Clay People, “Mga Taong Luad”
• 1973 Designed and created Glorious Cross, altar, lectern at Ibaday, Aklan

Some of her exhibits

• Solo shows
  • 1999-2000 Alimpuyo, CCP Main Gallery
  • 1993 Ligaya ay Atin, Miriam College
  • 1971 Two Birds of Happiness: Sari-manok and Ibong Adarna, Manila Hilton Gallery

• Group shows
  • 1998 One of 15 women artists represented in Centennial Exhibit 100 years: 100 artists—-An Expression of the Filipino Soul in the Cultural Center of the Philippines
  • 1993 Kalikasan: Woman and Environment, Rizal Park
  • 1992 Babae, CCP Main Gallery
  • 1991 First KASIBULAN Exhibit Honoring Woman, U.P. Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center
  • 1990 Clay as Art and Self-Deepening, De Tiltenberg, the Netherlands.

• • 1988 Arte Ethnica: Celebration of Indigenous Art, National Museum
  • 1985 Queen of Peace, National Museum

Reference

Kintanar, Thelma B. and Ventura, Sylvia Mendez. Self-Portraits 2: Fourteen Filipina Artists Speak. Quezon City: Ateneo University Press, 2003.

Citation

Original content from WikiPilipinas. under GNU Free Documentation License. See full disclaimer.