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National Artists in the Philippines

Did you know?

The Order of National Artists (Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts; namely, Music,Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied Arts. The order is jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions. In this blog we’re going to focus on the National Artists in Architecture and Visual Arts and see what they’ve contributed in developing our Filipino identity.

Source: http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-philippines/

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Benedicto R. Cabrera

Benedicto Cabrera is considered the preeminent Filipino painter of his generation. Primarily figurative, Cabrera’s work often depicts woman and occasionally men wrapped in swirling, bundled fabrics and capes. He was born on April 10, 1942 in Malabon, Philippines, and studied at the University of the Phillippines. In 1963, he won first prize for his oil painting of a talipapa, or market, in a student competition, and was hired soon after by the national paper as its Sunday illustrator. Cabrera’s first exhibition of oil and acrylic paintings was held at the Indigo Gallery in Mabini in 1965, and has since shown work in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo, and notably London, where has lived on and off for much of his professional career. In 2006, the Philippine Government conferred upon him the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts.

Dancer, 2006

Afternoon Break, 1992

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Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

Carlos “Botong” Francisco, the poet of Angono, single-handedly revived the forgotten art of mural and remained its most distinguished practitioner for nearly three decades. In panels such as those that grace the City Hall of Manila, Francisco turned fragments of the historic past into vivid records of the legendary courage of the ancestors of his race. He was invariably linked with the “modernist” artists, forming with Victorio C. Edades and Galo Ocampo what was then known in the local art circles as “The Triumvirate”. Botong’s unerring eye for composition, the lush tropical sense of color and an abiding faith in the folk values typified by the townspeople of Angono became the hallmark of his art.

One of his famous works is Harana, 1957 (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection)

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Fernando C. Amorsolo

Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto was one of the most important artists in the history of painting in the Philippines. Amorsolo was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. He is popularly known for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light. The country had its first National Artist in Fernando C. Amorsolo. The official title “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” was bestowed on Amorsolo when the Manila Hilton inaugurated its art center on January 23, 1969 with an exhibit of a selection of his works. Returning from his studies abroad in the 1920s, Amorsolo developed the backlighting technique that became his trademark where figures, a cluster of leaves, spill of hair, the swell of breast, are seen aglow on canvas. This light, Nick Joaquin opines, is the rapture of a sensualist utterly in love with the earth, with the Philippine sun, and is an accurate expression of Amorsolo’s own exuberance. His citation underscores all his years of creative activity which have “defined and perpetuated a distinct element of the nation’s artistic and cultural heritage”.

His major works include the following: Planting Rice (1946) – UCPB collection and Under the Mango Tree

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Vicente S. Manansala

Vicente Manansala‘s paintings are described as visions of reality teetering on the edge of abstraction. As a young boy, his talent was revealed through the copies he made of the Sagrada Familia and his mother’s portrait that he copied from a photograph. After finishing the fine arts course from the University of the Philippines, he ran away from home and later found himself at the Philippines Herald as an illustrator. It was there that Manansala developed close association with Hernando R. Ocampo, Cesar Legaspi, and Carlos Botong Francisco, the latter being the first he admired most. For Manansala, Botong was a master of the human figure. Among the masters, Manansala professes a preference for Cezanne and Picasso whom he says have achieved a balance of skill and artistry.

His famous works include: Birdman and Luksong-Tinik (Jumping over Thorns)

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Victorio C. Edades

Victorio C. Edades was a Filipino painter. He led the revolutionary Thirteen Moderns, who engaged their classical compatriots in heated debate over the nature and function of art. He was named a National Artist in 1976.

Victorio C. Edades was a Filipino painter. He led the revolutionary Thirteen Moderns, who engaged their classical compatriots in heated debate over the nature and function of art. He was named a National Artist in 1976.

Some of his famous works include: The Sketch and The Japanese Girl

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Napoleon Abueva

Napoleon Abueva, more popularly known as Napoleón Abueva, was a Filipino artist. He was a sculptor given the distinction as the Philippines' National Artist for Sculpture. He was also entitled as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture". He was awarded National Artist of the Philippines in the field of Visual Arts (1976).

Some of his major works include: The Nine Muses (1994) and The Transfiguration (1979)

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Francisco Mañosa

Francisco 'Bobby' Mañosa is a Filipino architect noted for his Filipino inspired architectural designs. His most notable work is The Coconut Palace. Mañosa devoted his life’s work to creating a Filipino identity in architecture. Inspired by traditional vernacular forms such as the bahay kubo and the bahay na bato, Mañosa combined traditional forms and indigenous materials with modern building technology to create structures he felt were best suited to the Philippines’ tropical climate.

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Jose Maria Zaragosa

José María V. Zaragoza’s place in Philippine architecture history is defined by a significant body of modern edifices that address spiritual and secular requirements. Zaragoza’s name is synonymous to modern ecclesiastical architecture

Zaragoza is a pillar of modern architecture in Philippines buttressed by a half-century career that produced ecclesiastical edifices and structures of modernity in the service of God and humanity.

Major Works: Meralco Building (Pasig City) and Sto. Domingo Church (Quezon)

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Ildefonso P. Santos Jr.

Ildefonso Paez Santos Jr., popularly known simply as "IP Santos", was a Filipino architect who was known for being the "Father of Philippine Landscape Architecture." Santos pioneered the profession of landscape architecture in the Philippines. He was bestowed with the title of "national artist" for his outstanding achievement in architecture and allied arts on June 9, 2006.

Among the locations that comprise IP Santos' body of work are the landscaping of: Tagaytay Highlands Golf and Country Club and Paco Park

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Juan F. Napkil

Juan F. Nakpil was a famous architect, civil engineer, teacher and civic leader, a pioneer and innovator in Philippine architecture. Due to him private architects got the right to manage governmental buildings in his country. He has integrated strength, function, and beauty in the buildings that are the country's heritage today.

In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for architecture. He was regarded as the Dean of Filipino Architects.

His works include the Rizal Shrine in Laguna and Quezon Hall in UP

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Leandro V. Locsin

Leandro V. Locsin is a distinguished architect in the Philippines who has blended modern architecture harmoniously into the climate of Southeast Asia.

The Philippines has high temperature and high humidity; it is located in a volcanic zone and is thus vulnerable to earthquakes. As a result, durability and ventilation are necessities in Filipino architecture. Large roofs, long eaves and high ceilings are typical characteristics of traditional Filipino architecture.

Mr. Locsin's works beautifully incorporate such traditional qualities with the openness and vastness of modern architecture. His unique interpretation of architectural features such as lattice and curved lines are eloquently expressed in his modern, Western form of art. What lies behind this originality is his principle: to synthesize or to blend Western and Eastern culture. Without this theme, the modern architecture of the West could not have taken root within the existing Filipino architecture.

He was proclaimed a National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture in 1990 by the late President Corazon C. Aquino. Some of his famous works include Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine International Conventional Center Manila, and Sofitel Philippine Plaza

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Pablo S. Antonio

Pablo Sebero Antonio, Sr. was a Filipino architect. A pioneer of modern Philippine architecture, he was recognized in some quarters as the foremost Filipino modernist architect of his time. He was conferred the rank and title of National Artist of the Philippines by President Ferdinand Marcos in 1976.

Antonio is celebrated for his Art Deco Style, a radical departure from the prevailing style of the time—Neoclassicism. His works are defined by its clean lines, strong shapes, and simplicity. He was also famous for having worked around the Philippine tropical climate and was known to employ natural ventilation systems, slanted windows, and sunscreens in his many projects.

Some of his works include White Cross Children’s Home and Far Eastern University – Manila

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Welcome to my Blog!

Hi there!

The name’s Keziah, you can call me Kez. This blog is for educational purposes only and is also used for my school purposes. But with that being said, I hope you enjoy reading my blog!

Lots of love, Kez xx