Claude Tayag (born 1956, Angeles City, Philippines) is an accomplished painter, sculptor, furniture designer, handy chef, and food and travel columnist for the Philippine Star. Primarily a self-taught artist, Tayag took up architecture and economics at the University of the Philippines.

He considers his mentor, the late writer/painter Emilio “Abe” Aguilar Cruz, as his greatest influence.

Tayag’s first entry into the Manila art scene in 1978 was an exhibit of watercolor paintings of Philippine folk festivals, religious images, and Cordillera landscapes, works characterized by a forceful spontaneity and raw vigor.

In 1990, he ventured into functional and sculptural wood pieces starting with an exhibition, “Art Furniture,” at the Ayala Museum.

In his sculptures, Tayag’s exploration with wood has allowed him to supersede the limitations of an essentially rigid material, achieving limitless volume and sensuous plasticity with his wave and curvilinear series. He has participated in several one-man and group exhibitions in Manila , Beijing , Washington DC, and Madrid.

His art is part of many private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Bank of Philippine Islands, and PLDT.

In the last five years, this versatile artist has explored the written word in his column in the Philippine Star, where he writes about his travels and food musings, his other passion. These essays have been compiled in book form, Food Tour, liberally peppered with recipes and illustrated with his pen-and-ink drawings.

Multifaceted artist Tayag opens his latest exhibit, Palate/Palette, at the Alliance Francaise de Manille on Thursday, September 6, 2007. In this watercolor travelogue, Tayag comes full circle in his exploration of the aquarelle medium, starting with his first one-man show in 1978 of Philippine landscapes, fiestas, and religious images.

This time around, he leads us on a cultural tour around the country and beyond. His passion for food, travel, and design takes him to faraway places, capturing images of off-the-beaten-track destinations, local markets, sidewalk eateries, and food hawkers. His spontaneous sketches of everyday scenes allow us to virtually smell and taste the local flavor of exotic yet familiar sights.

Artists’ reception shall be at Alliance Française de Manille’s Total Gallery on Thursday, September 6, 2007. Cocktails will be served at 6:30 p.m. Exhibit ends on September 28, 2007.

Contact information:
Olivier Dintinger (AFM director)
Earl Parco (Cultural-PR officer)
(02) 895 7441 or 895 7585
odintinger@alliance.ph or cultural@alliance.ph