Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto 

(May 30, 1892 – April

24, 1972) 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.

BenCab was born to Democrito Cabrera and Isabel

Reyes in Malabon, Philippines on April 10, 1942. He was
the youngest of nine children. BenCab's first exposure and
discovery of the arts happened through his elder Brother
Salvador, who was already an established artist during
Bencab's childhood.[3]
He went on to study at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he
explored different art visual forms - photography, draftsmanship, printmaking - while
honing his chosen craft as a painter. He received his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in
BenCab met British journalist Caroline Kennedy (author of An Affair of State, 1987, and
How the English Establishment Framed Stephen Ward, 2013) in Manila in 1968, and
married her in London in 1969.The couple decided to stay in London. They have three
children. The eldest, Elisar, was born in 1971 and is now a film and web series
producer, married to award-winning playwright and web series writer, Lisa Gifford,
based in London; Their middle child, Mayumi, was born in Manila in 1973 and became a
successful model both in London and Los Angeles. She currently lives in Los Angeles
with her partner, John A. Fries and their two children, Ronan (2011) and Ione (2013).
Their youngest, Jasmine was born in 1977, mother of Sienna Daphne (b.2016) and lives
in Quezon City.
Bencab's first years as a painter in London "were not particularly easy", but his talents
were immediately recognized.[2] Over the next four decades, he established for himself a
name of international importance, holding exhibitions from London to New York to
Macau, and winning several major art awards in a career spanning four decades.
When BenCab returned to the Philippines in 1972, he was hailed as a Filipino pioneer of
the arts and a significant influence among his peers. However, he returned to London
once more in 1974, partly to get away from the tightening grip of Martial Law,
which Ferdinand Marcos had declared in 1972. That event is said to have "marked the
beginning of [BenCab]'s passionate involvement with social commentary and the topics
of repression and freedom,"[3] turning him into a key figure in the development of protest
art against the Marcos dictatorship.[4]
His Larawan series was developed out of his nostalgia for the Philippines. He and
Caroline used to scour local flea markets all over Europe looking for early maps and
prints of the Philippines. This collection became the basis for his Larawan series.
In 1985, however, BenCab's 16-year marriage with Kennedy ended in divorce, and he
eventually decided to come home to the Philippines.
1963.