Carlos Celdran Passes Away At The Age Of 46
CARLOS CELDRAN – The performance artist and cultural activist Carlos Celdran has been confirmed to have passed away on Tuesday at the age of 46.
According to a Facebook post by his wife, their family is arranging to bring Celdran home. She also added that his husband died from natural causes.
Celdran was famously known for his stunt called “Damaso”. He was also a visual artist, as well as a writer, and activist.
His career began at the young age of 14 years old as cartoonist for Business Day. He finished his studies at Rhode Island School of Design in the United States and graduated with a degree in fine arts in 1996.
Back in September 2010, Celdran staged a protest inside the Manila Cathedral wearing a black suit. The ecumenical service was attended by leaders of various Christian groups.
These included Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, the Papal Nuncio, and the former Philippine Ambassador to Rome, Henrietta De Villa. His stunt was in protest of the Church’s position against the Reproductive Health Bill.
Damaso was originally from the works of Dr. Jose Rizal. He was one of the main antagonists of Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not).
Rizal’s work was about the nefariousness of the Roman Catholic priests and the form of leadership during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. His work then inspired a revolution in the country.
He was also previously known for his work titled “If These Walls Could Talk”. According to ABS-CBN, it was a performative experience masked as a walking tour in Intramuros, Manila.
Celdran also made a sequel called “Livin’ La Vida Imelda”. This performance was a monologue lasting one hour and thirty minutes.
His work also got featured in foreign countries like the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Malaysia. However, it was censored at an art fair in Dubai where it was canceled for “un-Islamic” content.
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