Maria Gemma Arella Suguitan San Jose, also known as Gem Suguitan, is a woman of multiverse.
Her mom, Marietta Arella Suguitan, is from Lopez, Quezon while her dad, the late Guillermo Suguitan is from Vintar, Ilocos Norte and her husband is from Pila, Laguna where she has worked, loved and learned a lot equally about life lived in Lopez and Vintar.
Gem has also rooted herself in Baguio City where she spent years of her college days and Manila where she navigated other directions and truths of her being a person and an artist.
The people from these places are still in awe and proud of her latest achievement in life—winning the Grand Prize in the Non-Figurative category at Sining Filipina, the very first all-female art competition in the Philippines held at the SM Aura in Taguig City recently.
Suguitan won for her art creation titled “Layers of Experiences” which told of a woman’s perception of things around her and how she is able to cope with them in contemporary life.
From Gem Pila, Laguna artists group, Pila-Sinag Artists, a congratulatory message was sent, thus: “CONGRATULATIONS to our very own Ms Gem Suguitan San Jose…THANK YOU for bringing PRIDE to our beloved town of PILA and our Province of LAGUNA. More power and God Bless.”
Delsie Sabas of Lopez and Lucban, Quezon: “I am so proud of you my dear friend Gem Suguitan...
“So lucky for me to have kept and displayed your art work paintings (on scrap woods) here on my garage wall in Lucban. Many of my friends and even passersby were so amazed by your work. Parang may gallery ako dini at madami nga nagpapicture. Nagumpisa sa ganito, ngayon ay may tatak na ang pangalan mo. Yeheyyy feeling ko panalo din ako (It seems I already have a gallery here and many are taking pictures. It started like this and now it has a brand now. I fell like I also won in the contest).”
Jowee Morel, Fil-Briton filmmaker from Pagsanjan, Laguna, Cagayan de Oro City and the United Kingdom: “The winning Earth Warrior Gem Suguitan ... CONGRATULATIONS!!!”
Gem is a member of Jowee’s Earth Warriors who preserve and conserve the environment.
The esteemed judges of this first all-women art competition were: Kenneth Esguerra, Senior Curator of the Ayala Museum and Ayala Museum's Head of Conservation; Tina Colayco, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and Professor and former dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts; Julie Lluch, multi-awarded sculptor and master of clay and terracotta, who has represented the country in various international exhibitions. As well, painter Mark Justiniani, known for his socio-politically illustrative fueled works, who has since gained recognition for producing installations using mirrors, glass and stainless steel, and continues to be a heavy influence on contemporary Philippine art; and Victoria T. Herrera, Director and Chief Curator, Ateneo Art Gallery, former director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Visual Arts and Museum Division, and curatorial consultant for UP-Baguio’s Museo Kordilyera.
Sining Filipinas is a tribute to Filipino women which is being celebrated in March as the season of the virtues and values of women.
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