Raimundo Folch

 Sculpture-Ceramist

Raimundo Folch

Filipino, Artist of Kulay-Diwa

Won the Baumel-Schwenck prize in sculpture

Three spanish artists awarded at the Carrousel du Louvre 2011 International Painting and Sculpture Exposition , Raimundo Folch won the”Baumel-Schwenck” prize in sculpture, Pepe Madrid, the ADAGP prize in painting and Marta Solsona, the “Bronze loungel” in sculpture.

The fourth edition of the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris was held last december 8 to 11 of 2011, a very  important and prestigious international art fair in France, sponsored by the French Republic President Nicolas Zarcozy  and organized by the National Society of the Fine Arts of Paris (S.N.B.A) whose famous founders are August Rodín, Manet etc.

The seat of the expositión is located at the explanade of the Louvre museum where the famous crystal pyramid that appeared in the film Da Vinci Code lies at the middle. Down below is an elegant comercial center of high standing stores, an arqueological ruins of what has been a defensive wall of ancient Paris, several enormous halls that leads to varios entrance of the Louvre museum and a widespaced chamber where the Carrousel du Louvre International Art exposition is annually held.

Like every year, a number of six thousand artists from all parts of the world like Korea, China, Japan, United States, Canada, Brazil, Turkey and european countries gather together to exhibit their artworks and fortunately the possibility to receive a prize of some of the awards the jury of the S.N.B.A. delivers 

Some members of the artists representing Spain came from Valencia where Raimundo Folch, sculptor from  Mislata belonging to the group “ Contemporary Spanish Artists“ was born in Manila in 1960 of a filipina mother and a spanish father who´s infancy  and early youth was spent in Manila, studying at the Paco Catholic School upto highschool before his family left for Spain by a twist of fate in 1976. 

After the sculptor from Zamora, Spain  Daniel Lorenzo Goñi won the prize in  2009, history repeats itself again when saturday december 10, 2011  Raimundo Folch is awarded the “Baumel-Schwenck” prize of 2011 in sculpture. This condecoratión is considered as the highest distinction award in sculpture, by the S.N.B.A. jury of the Carrousel du Louvre. In Spain the “Baumel-Schwenck” prize is comparable to the "Premio Velásquez” or  "Lobo" according to Donato Ruiz, a well known spanish sculptor based in Paris and a member of the S.N.B.A. 

Together with the sculptor Raimundo Folch, also was awarded the painter Pepe Madrid  with the“ADAGP” prize which meant to be the French General Society of Authors and the sculptor Marta Solsona with the “Bronze Lounge” in sculpture both of them coming from Barcelona and total to three the spanish artists awarded at the Carrousel du Louvre edition of this year

Most probably many people would be wondering what is the source of my inspirations in my creating process, The answer is that everything start inside my mind, I can consider myself fortunate in having a strong sense of imagination that any object in my daily life could serve as a catalyzer for my brain to sinthesize a figurative image. The texture of a dry leaf, the structure of the branches of a tree, a stain in a wall etc. This things resembles in my mind objects of the subconscience which can be personal or perhaps collective that perhaps seems to be floating across the universe in which I think I am just a mere interpreter. A universe which I call the ethero-magical world.

How many of us during childhood had imagined forms and shapes on the clouds, This process is defined as pareildolia and I could say I developed this talent since then, This thing occurs involuntarily at times when I look at things, ¡chas! , It surge like a flash and I can see myself running for a pencil and a piece of paper as soon as possible in order to sketch the idea before it fades on my mind. Once I have the bocetto sketched, it is just a matter of time for me to decide which of the bunch I have ,could be materialized through the clay that in my case I employ, is stoneware.   

The sculptures are made of stoneware directly shaped by the artist's hands, except some pieces created in limited series, which are cast in mold and then given a finishing touch by the artist, the intricate details of each piece.

After the drying process, the pieces are submitted into two kiln firing session in which  the artist choose a high temperature glaze that sooths best every piece characteristic and which is then  applied before the last firing, thus, obtaining a particular result of a natural stone color and texture. Finally the pieces are mounted over a travertine marble base etc.

Spanish:

Probablemente mucha gente se preguntaría cuál es la fuente de  mis inspiraciones para hacer los temas de mis obras artísticas, la respuesta es todo comienza en mi mente, gracias a que poseo un gran poder de imaginación en lo cual cualquier objeto cotidiano puede servir de catalizador a mi cerebro para sintetizar una imagen figurativa. La textura de una hoja marchitada, la disposición de las ramas de un árbol, una mancha salpicada en la pared etc. puede sugerir en mi mente cualquier objeto de la subconsciente que pueda ser personal o colectiva que quizá como si flotara a través del universo en lo cual pienso ser un mero interprete. Un universo que llamo el mundo etéreo-mágico.

Cuanto de nosotros de niño hemos imaginado formas y figuras en las nubes, a este proceso lo definen como la pareildolia.  Se puede decir que este don lo he desarrollado desde entonces y mi mente de manera involuntaria en cuanto mire a un objeto, ¡chas! , llega  la idea como un destello y ya me veo dibujando en un trozo de papel el boceto antes que la idea se difumine en mi mente. una vez hecho el boceto solo es cuestión de tiempo para que decida entre tantos cual materializar a través de la arcilla que en este caso utilizo el gres. A continuación podéis ver abajo algunos ejemplos de mis inspiraciones.

Las piezas están hechas en gres, directamente modelado a mano, salvo algunas piezas hechas en serie limitada ,donde se hace con molde para ser después retocado por la mano del artista, los pequeños detalles  de la escultura

Después del secado, las piezas se someten en dos cocciones, donde en la ultima se aplica anteriormente un esmalte cerámico de alta temperatura, que el artista crea acorde con la propia escultura,  logrando así dar un color y textura definitiva de piedra natural. Acabada la pieza, se monta después a una base de mármol travertino etc..

Born in Manila, Philippines in 1960 to a filipina mother and a spanish father, he arrived in Valencia (Spain) in 1975 where later studied a course of modeling and mold manufacturing at the School of Arts and Trade of Valencia (Escuela de Artes y Oficios de Valencia), and posteriorly at the Manises School of  Ceramics (Escuela de Cerámica de Manises)

GROUP EXHIBITS

1991

 - Exhibition at  the  "Circulo de Bellas Artes" de Valencia ( Valencia fine Arts Circle).                                                                         

1993      

 - Exhibition at the "Galería Este". Valencia.                               

 - Exhibition at the "Hospitalillo San José" Exhibit Hall in Getafe. 

 - Exhibition at the "Culture Fair", Casa de Campo. Madrid         

 - Summer group exhibit "Galería San Vicente", Valencia.

1994    

 - Exhibits "For the respect and living together", organized by  ARACOVA and the Diputación de Valencia (Valencia Committee) at the Cultural Center of Mislata. 

 - Exhibition at the Ateneo Mercantil de Valencia (Valencia Merchant Athenaem). "Horizons of Cuba", as the invited artist. 

1995

 -"Iberian-American Paintings and Sculptures Exhibition" organized by "COIBDECO" ,   Junta Municipal Ciudad Vella, Valencia and ARCHIVAL

 -"Monumental Valencia" Exhibition sponsored by ARCHIVAL, at the Pineda        Administration Palace (UIMP Sede of Valencia).

 -"Three in One" Exhibition sponsored by the Cityhall of  Valencia and the CAM at the  Ciudad Vella Municipal Junta of Valencia.

 - "Modern Philippine Painting and Sculpture Exhibition" organized by the National Antropology Museum, sponsored by the Philippine Embassy and the Spanish Ministry of Culture in Madrid.    

1996

"Art and Ecology Fair" organized by the "Circulo de Bellas Artes", Valencia.

 - "Arte at the Mesón Morella"; sponsored by Valencia Antiga

1997

 - "First Edition of the Valencian Contemporary Artists" Exhibition in Valencia. 

1998

 - " Contemporary Art" sponsored by ARCHIVAL at the old"Mesón Morella". Valencia.

 - "Philippine Contemporary Art" Exhibition in commemorance of the Philippine Independence Centennial Anniversary celebrated at the "Casa América" in Madrid , organized by the Philippine Embassy and sponsored by the Cityhall of Madrid 

2001

 - "Bullfight Painters and Sculptors Exhibit"  and inauguration of the book´s edition of h the same title in Valencia  

2002

 - "Homage to the sculptor Serra Andres Exhibit" composed by the Archival Contemporary Art Group at the RENFE exhibit hall in Valencia.

2003

 - "Tendencies" Exhibit , a collective group composed by various artists of different nationalities held at the Youth and Culture House of  Manises sponsored by the City Hall of Manises and Diputación de Valencia.   

2004

 - Exhibit at the City History Museum, Valencia

2008

- Exhibit at the  First  National Hall of Small-scale  Painting at the Paz Tejón Gallery, Valencia.

2009

- Exhibit at the 67th Edition of the Arts Difusion Association "First  Outstanding Figures in Sculptures" , Valencia.

2010

-          Exhibit  at the Art Space Berlin Gallery "Position Close" a group exhibit with 12 spanish artists  in  Berlin, Germany.

      - Exhibit  "Group Art-6" group exhibit of  6 artist composed by  Raimundo Folch, Julio Pérez, Antonio Torre Iñigo, Josefina Vacas etc.at the  Junta Municipal of  Ciutat Vella  1 Micalet st. , Valencia

-           

2011

- Exhibit of the First  AEDAL Prize for painting and sculpture at the Artis Gallery, Valencia.

SOLO EXHIBITS

1992

 - Exhibit at the Cultural Center of Mislata.                           

 - Exhibit at the "Galería d'Arts". Valencia. 

1993

 - Exhibition at the Joaquin Sorolla Social and Cultural Center. Aldaya 

1994

 - Exhibit at the"Galería San Vicente". Valencia.             

 - Exhibit at the Culture House of  Xirivella.                     

 - Exhibit at the"Galería San Vicente". Valencia.                   

 - Exhibit at the Culture House of L´Alcudia.              

 - Exhibit at the Culture House of Carlet.                

 - Exhibit at the Culture House of Denia.  

2007

 - Exhibit at the “ Sala Municipal d´Exposicións” in Carcaixent.

GRANTS

First prize in sculpture at the 7th edition Cultural Week organized  by the Falla de  Alfara del Patriarca, 1993.  Second Prize, in 1994, by the same contest and organizer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

20th Century Spanish Painters and Sculptors Dictionary . 1994 Edition. Forum-Artis.     Madrid.

Valencian Contemporary Artists, Volume 2, by Lorenzo Berenguer, Edited by ARCHIVAL. 1997. Valencia,Spain

"Bullfight Painters and Sculptors" by Lorenzo Berenguer and Ignacio Saez Boil, Edited by ARCHIVAL. 2001. Valencia, Spain

Artistas que dejan huella (, Volume 2, by Lorenzo Berenguer  Edited by ARCHIVAL. 2003 . Valencia, Spain

His sculptures can be found at the presidencial palace of Malacañang in Manila, Philippines; the Philippine  Embassy in Madrid; the Philippine Consulate in Valencia; at the" Circulo de Bellas Artes" of Valencia and at the respective cultural centers of Mislata, Aldaya, Xirivella, L'Alcudia, Carlet and Denia.

Around fifty sculptures of limited series were sold by International Accents ltd. through out Atlanta, Georgia ( U.S.A ).  .







Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Philippine Contemporary Art is a privately owned venue for artistic expression. It is strategically located within a cluster of progressive communities South of Manila. It has an independent exhibition area able to accommodate large-scale works, and a spacious garden ideal for outdoor programs, performances and sculpture installations.

Goals of Kulay-Diwa

To discover and promote the works of talented, young and deserving Filipino Artist;

To serve as a cultural outpost and make the arts more accessible to the fast-growing communities South of Manila; and

To foster cultural interaction and exchanges with the local regions, Southeast Asia and other countries.

Kulay (Color)

Diwa (Spirit, Thought)





Available works:

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