COMPOSITE IMAGE: Jerome Cristobal
MANILA, Philippines—A cancer support advocacy group is lining up events for Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, including an art fair to raise funds for its programs and which would feature works by more than 30 artists.
Kasuso Foundation, sustaining an awareness campaign on breast cancer and helping patients, said its campaign to observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month will have the theme “Let’s Bridge the Breast Cancer Care Gap: Fair and Square.”
The group said its campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer education and treatment support.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, observed annually every October, provides a platform to highlight the importance of early detection, access to care, and the ongoing need for research breakthroughs in breast cancer treatment.
This year, Kasuso has partnered with Araneta City to bring together 35 renowned and upcoming contemporary artists and 15 photojournalists for the art fair and exhibit.
Key events being lined up by Kasuso during Breast Cancer Awareness Month include “Susuportahan Kita,” an art exhibit; “Kasuso Stories of Survival Against All Odds,” a photo exhibit; and “KasusoCon: Merging Craft and Cause,” an art convention and fair.
Susuportahan Kita will feature works of celebrated artists revolving around the strength and resilience of women and families affected by breast cancer.
New and established Filipino artists will participate in the exhibit, which will also serve as a social critique of broader challenges being faced by Filipino women, including the lack of inclusive health care.
Some of the artists are themselves breast cancer patients or survivors, while others were inspired to create their work by the stories of loved ones affected by the disease.
Established and new artists in the art scene like Mideo Cruz, Raquel De Loyola, Jef Carnay, and Jun Sabayton, Isha Naguiat, Hannah Nantes, Corrine Fernandez Garcia, Lilay Sarreal, Kevin Roque, Jomari Caya, and Naburok, have generously contributed their works.
The exhibit will feature sculptures and paintings and is hoped to inspire conversations about breast cancer and care disparities.
Susuportahan Kita will open on October 7 and last the whole month at Gateway Mall.
Some of the works will be for sale, and proceeds will go to Kasuso’s programs to assist breast cancer patients and their families.
“We believe that art can inspire change,” said George M. Pangan, Kasuso president.