Eduardo Mutuc, Metalwork – Apalit, Pampanga, 2004

Eduardo Mutuc is the artist of many religious pieces of silver, bronze, and wood seen in churches. His
works could be as large as forty feet tall or so small and delicate that it requires detailed craftsmanship.
Eduardo became a master in silver plating, a skill required to make the gold decorations of many secular
decorations.Eduardo Mutuc is an artist who has dedicated his life to creating religious and secular art in
silver, bronze and wood. His intricately detailed retablos, mirrors, altars, and carosas are in churches and
private collections. ... For an artist whose work graces cathedrals and churches, Mutuc works in humble
surroundings.For an artist whose work graces cathedrals and churches, Mutuc works in humble
surroundings. His studio occupies a corner of his yard and shares space with a tailoring shop. During the
recent rains, the river beside his lot overflowed and water flooded his studio in Apalit, Pampanga,
drenching his woodblocks. Mutuc takes it all in stride.

He discovered his talents in sculpture and metalwork quite late. He was 29 when he decided to
supplement his income from farming for the relatively more secure job of woodcarving. He spent his
first year as an apprentice to carvers of household furniture. It was difficult at the beginning, but thanks
to his mentors, he was able to develop valuable skills that would serve him in good stead later on. The
hardest challenge for him was learning a profession that he had no prior knowledge about, but poverty
was a powerful motivation. Although his daily wage of P3.00 didn’t go far to support his wife and the
first three of nine children (one of whom has already died), choices were limited for a man who only
finished elementary school