Library of Form Wood sculpture and Pictographic Intarsia by Filipino contemporary sculptor Eugie Varona Dela Cruz
Four series. Four conversations between the sculptor’s hand and the grain of reclaimed Philippine hardwood — from the participatory language of play to the meditative universality of the crucifix.
Where do I begin when creating art?
I don’t start with an object. I start with an idea (a question) that needs a form.
My practice begins with a question rather than an image. The question may come from a collector, a curator, a social issue, or the material itself. I respond by finding a sculptural solution. Every commission is not an instruction to follow but an opportunity to solve a visual problem. The final work is where concept, material, and my artistic language meet.
Pictographic Intarsia
Studying wood grain, color, and natural character of each species, integrating them as active visual components of the image itself, allowing wood to become more than a material — it becomes a visual language.
Wood inlay is not new to the Philippines. In Baliuag, Bulacan — where paternal roots can be traced — local furniture makers practice “Hilas”, a decorative technique using repetitive wood inlays of flowers and leaves with Ebony and Lanite.
Building upon the rich tradition of wood inlay, Eugie Varona Dela Cruz developed a distinctive contemporary practice of Pictographic Intarsia using reclaimed Philippine hardwoods and a philosophy of Collaboration with Nature.
Laro Series
Through the language of play, I reflect on the realities, complexities, and shared experiences that shape our society.
Play as a Universal Language
11 photos — view gallery
7 photos — view gallery
9 photos — view gallery
15 photos — view gallery
Eugie Crucifix
God created man in his own image. — Genesis 1:27
Eugie Varona Dela Cruz’s crucifix reflects the universality of humanity through both material and form. Using the natural colors of reclaimed hardwoods, the work symbolizes the diversity of humankind — different in appearance, culture and history, yet sharing a common origin.
The faceless Christ is central to this vision. Free from specific racial or cultural features, the figure becomes a universal presence through which all may recognize themselves.
Through the union of diverse woods and the image of Christ, the Eugie Crucifix becomes a meditation on faith, human dignity, and our shared humanity before God.
Mother
Other Notable Works
Sculptures
