The Breathtaking Betsy Westendorp Exhibit

Former President Fidel Ramos and Betsy Westendorp center, with from left: exhibit curator Eva McGovern, Amelita ‘Ming’ Ramos and Valentine Willie, of Manila Contemporary

Betsy Westendorp is the epitome of a gifted and sublime artist with a tireless work ethic and exemplary exhibits. With her cultural heritage and international background in the arts, Betsy has built a name as portraitist to the elite and royalty, such as Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, King Juan Carlos of Spain and The Duchess of Alba, to name a few.

Having slipped away on a carefree cruise to Australia, Rupert and I missed Betsy’s recent opening by one day, but being a warm and gentle soul and a dear friend, the artist extraordinaire gave us a private showing of her recent works “Atmosferografias.” Most sought-after for her paintings of beautiful and exotic flowers and gardens, Betsy traipsed into a new realm with the cloud series. The clouds came in various contrasting forms, from peaceful and tranquil to forceful and mysterious. The moods were changeable, yet all were awe-inspiring and majestic. The large-scale paintings of clouds, skies and sunsets were impressively mounted at the ‘Manila Contemporary’ Main Gallery, presented in collaboration with Galleria Duemila Inc.  

In the middle was an installation of a living room designed by Architect Ramon Antonio, with furniture by Furnitalia, and with three Westendorp paintings on the walls. This was recreated to give the viewer the actual feel of the magnificence of a Betsy Westendorp when displayed in a home or a condo, giving the room a most elegant and dramatic finish. At the upstairs gallery, there was a specially curated display of small works, intimate portraits and documentation of her commissioned works, and it brought back memories of our visit to her quaint home in Madrid. The cocktail opening was attended in full force by the bigwigs in society, art, business, the diplomatic world and government, headed by former President Fidel Ramos and Amelita Ramos. (Do visit my website:  www.tinajacinto.com and view more articles at www.facebook.com/tinahidalgojacinto [1])