A different side of Spanish artist Betsy Westendorp will be revealed as she takes the spotlight this January and February at the Manila Contemporary Gallery with her self-titled exhibit Betsy Westendorp: Portrait of an Artist.

Though Westendorp is most famous for her portraits and floral paintings, her latest exhibit will feature the artist’s extensive works under the theme “Atmosferografias.” These are variations of the Manila Bay skyscapes—a view she loved and enjoyed when she was still living at an apartment along Roxas Boulevard.

Westendorp, now 85, has lived between Spain and the Philippines since the 1950s. Through her career spanning over 40 years, Westendorp has established herself as a respected artist practicing among the Filipino art community.

Sky paintings
On Tuesday, the artist opened her residence in Makati City for roundtable with members of the press to discuss her upcoming exhibit. Westendorp talked about the origin of the word “atmosferografias,” which was introduced to her by a Spanish art critic.

“Once, a Spanish art critic told me that my paintings of the Manila Bay were not actually paintings of sea but of the sky,” she recalled.

Intrigued by the concept, she was surprised that she could not find it defined in any Spanish dictionary, but was happy that the critic was able to show her art books that used atmosferografia to describe a particular style of painting. Since then, Westendorp embraced the word and the style for her series of works on one of her most favorite sights in the world.

Portrait of emotions
Westendorp’s Atmosferografias paintings (acrylic on canvas) are a conceptual play on sunsets which change the colors of the sky and clouds into shades of blue, purple, green, yellow, orange and red, among others. The paintings, which beautifully combine colorful transitions and light, according to the artist, are reflections of her emotions.

“The paintings are windows to Westendorp’s immersion,” shared Eva McGovern, the exhibit’s curator. “These paintings are abstract and emotional rather than figurative. With these, you will feel her emotions. Some might be sad or angry, while others might be joyous or thankful. That’s a reflection of Betsy herself.”

The curator added, “We want to stage an exhibit that will not just show a portrait of Betsy’s face, but a portrait of her emotions.”

True enough, Westendorp is really an artist who paints with her heart. Asked how she worked on the piece “Atmosferografias”—the biggest in the series, with dimensions 210 cm by 240 cm—she replied she based it on her memories of the Manila Bay. Her feelings as she watched the sunsets.

“The mood of paintings changes as I am working on them because they are expressions of my emotions. Sometimes, if a painting doesn’t match my feelings, I do it over again and paint over it,” Westendorp shared.

She continued, “With skyscapes, I can do whatever I want. I can use very big brushes and lots of paints without the fear of going overboard. With the color of the acrylic, I put in whatever I feel. And I never sketch. I prefer to go directly [on the canvas].”

A Manila Contemporary first
Besides being the art space to showcase Westendorp’s never before seen skyscapes, the Portrait of an Artist exhibit also marks many firsts for Manila Contemporary.

Since opening its doors in 2008, Manila Contemporary has only featured professional contemporary Filipino artists, making Westendorp’s exhibit its very first showcase of a foreign painter’s works. Moreover, her works are also romantic and classic, unlike the usual progressive and figurative themes that the gallery is known to support.

McGovern explained the diversion and revealed, “The gallery owner, Valentine Willie fell in love with Betsy’s Atmosferografias paintings because they both love the Manila Bay. So we said why not [stage an exhibit]? We wanted to get out of our box and host new artists and works. And [Westendorp] allowed someone to edit her work in a fresh take.”

The result of the collaboration between Westendorp and Manila Contemporary is a grand exhibit that will utilize both floors of the gallery. On the lower floor, the artist’s Atmosferografias will on displayed, while her smaller portraits and photo documentations will be in view on the second floor.

According to McGovern, the second floor installation is also a very special project since Manila Contemporary partnered with architect Ramon Antonio to recreate Westendorp’s residence to enable audiences to “feel how it is to live among Westerndorp’s art.”

As a special treat to those will view the exhibit, Westendorp has promised to be present every afternoon from January 17 to February 10 to answer questions and share anecdotes about her works. If they are truly lucky, they may even see the 84-year-old artist working on her next painting.

Manila Contemporary is located at Whitespace along Don Chino Roces Avenue (formerly Pasong Tamo) in Makati City.