The Work
Library of Form
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.
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
Selected Works
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.
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.
Sculptures
Mother Series
Totemic forms carved from single pieces of reclaimed hardwood, exploring themes of nurturing, ancestry, and the matriarchal line.
Minimalist Sculptures
Reductive forms that distill the essence of the wood, where grain and form become one.
Functional Sculptures
Works that bridge art and utility, transforming everyday objects into sculptural statements.
Other Sculptural Works
A diverse collection exploring the full range of the artist’s sculptural vocabulary.