Fernando Amorsolo (1972)

(May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972)

Fernando Amorsolo, who is also known as the Grand Old Man of Philippine Art. Born in Manila,
he was educated at the Art School of the Liceo de Manila, the University of the Philippines
School of Fine Arts, and spent time abroad in Spain and the United States. Lauded for his skill
in depicting light and form, Amorsolo is well known for his paintings of idyllic Philippine rural life.
He rejected Western ideals of beauty and sought to promote Filipino beauty instead, and his
use of chiaroscuro became an artistic trademark that set his work apart from the rest. Some of
his most famous pieces include Maiden in a Stream (1921), The Mestiza (1943), and Planting
Rice (1946).
Carlos “Botong” Francisco (1973)
(November 4, 1912 – March 31, 1969)

 A muralist who brought the art form back into the limelight, his work graces the City Hall of
Manila and the National Art Gallery of the Philippines. He was also one of the first Filipino
modernists, breaking away from the Romanticism of Amorsolo to make use of geometric forms
and linear painting. Among his most famous works include depictions of the Blood Compact, the
First Mass at Limasawa, and most notably The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, which
has been restored three times. A famous replica of this mural resides at the lobby of the
Philippine General Hospital.
Ang Kiukok (2001)
(March 1, 1931 – May 9, 2005)

Born in Davao to Chinese immigrant parents, Ang Kiukok began his art journey at a young age.
The family later moved to Cotabato, where Kiukok made movie billboards, and then on to
Manila, where he attended the University of Santo Tomas. One of his mentors during this period
was the great Vicente Manansala. Kiukok began rising in the Philippine art scene in the 1960s
thanks to his distinctive style, which pulled influences from cubism, surrealism, and
expressionism. His work was noted for depicting rage and violence, with subjects such as rabid
dogs or the crucified Christ in agony. Included among his works are Geometric
Landscape (1969), Pieta (1962), and Seated Figure (1979).
José Joya (2003)
(June 3, 1931 – May 11, 1995)

A printmaker, painter, mixed media artist, and former Dean of the University of the
Philippines’ College of Fine Arts, José Joya was a pioneer of abstract impressionism in the
Philippines. His paintings make use of palettes found in the Philippine landscape, such as
golden rice fields ready for harvest. Joya’s work espoused kinetic energy and spontaneity, and
he was a master of gestural paintings. Among his masterworks include Nanking, a collage
rendered with distinctly Asian forms and influences, the Granadean Arabesque (1958),
and Biennial (1964).
Victorio Edades (1976)
(December 23, 1895 – March 7, 1985)

Victorio Edades was a key figure in the history of Philippine art, counted as one of the
revolutionary Thirteen Moderns and later called the Father of Modern Philippine Painting.
Edades moved away from the idyllic landscapes of his contemporary Amorsolo and instead
preferred to paint a more sobering picture of Philippine society. His works employed dark and
somber colors, and were focused on depicting the dirt and sweat of laborers, factory workers,
and the Philippine proletariat. Edades became Dean of the Department of Architecture in the
University of Santo Tomas, later instituting an art degree program. He invited Carlos Francisco
and Galo B. Ocampo to become professors of the university, and the three were later known as
the Triumvirate. Included among his works are The Sketch, Portrait of the Professor,
and Poinsettia Girl.
Vicente Manansala (1981)
(January 22, 1910 – August 22, 1981)

A master of the style of Cubism, Vicente Manansala is credited as one of the figures in the
Philippine art world who popularized neo-realism in the country. He was educated at the
University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts, later training in Paris, Banff, Montreal and at
the Otis School of Drawing in Los Angeles. Manansala developed a style called transparent
cubism, where he masterfully overlaid colors and shapes to depict forms and figures. This style
is exemplified in his works Kalabaw, Mother and Child, Madonna of the Slums, and Still Life with
Green Guitar. Most of Manansala’s artistic estate currently resides in Holy Angel University’s
The Vicente Manansala Collection.
Cesar Legaspi (1990)
(April 2, 1917 – April 7, 1994)

Another neo-realist and peer of Manansala, Cesar Legaspi was also a foremost figure in the
refining of Cubism in the Philippines. Also a member of the Thirteen Moderns, his work is set
apart by his daring use of colors, shapes, and themes. Critics have said that his works transform
the “unfeeling, geometric” order of Cubism into a dynamic, rhythmic social expressionism. His
works primarily focused on the dehumanization and struggles experienced by the working class
and mendicants in the city. His work is among many that led to the acceptance and later
popularity of modern art in the Philippines. These include Gadgets I, Diggers, Bayanihan,
and The Survivor.
Hernando Ocampo (1991)
(April 28, 1911 – December 28, 1978)

Another member of the pre-war group the Thirteen Moderns, Hernando Ocampo was one of the
leading radical modernist artists in the country. A playwright, fictionist, editor, and painter,
Ocampo originally studied law, commerce, and creative writing before eventually moving into
the visual arts. With his friends and peers Vicente Manansala and Cesar Legaspi, Ocampo
focused on depicting the harsh realities of life in the Philippines in his art. However, he also
painted landscapes and countryside scenery, and used fantasy and science fiction as the basis
for his works. Among his works are his masterpiece Genesis, Slum Dwellers, Man and Carabao,
and The Resurrection.
Arturo Luz (1997)
(November 20, 1926 – present)

A printmaker, sculptor, designer, and art administrator, Arturo Luz received his Order of National
Artists for Visual Arts award in 1997. One of the founding members of the neo-realists in the
Philippines, Luz’s work exemplifies simplicity and sophistication. He is credited with elevating
the Filipino aesthetic vision, and his work is elegant and economic, employing minimalism,
geometric abstracts, and invoking a universal reality. Luz is known as one of the greats of Asian
modernism, and his work as an art administrator with the Luz gallery has influenced generations
of Filipino artists. Included in his best works are Bagong Taon, Candle Vendors, Night Glows,
and Imaginary Landscapes. His mural Black and White is displayed in the lobby of the Cultural
Center of the Philippines’ Bulwagang Carlos V. Francisco.
Jeremias Elizalde Navarro (1999)
(May 22, 1924 – June 10, 1999)

J. Elizalde Navarro was a native of Antique, and studied in the University of the Philippines,
Manila before transferring to the University of Santo Tomas, where he graduated with a
Bachelor of Arts, major in Painting, in 1951. His work in the visual arts spans a variety of media
and techniques, including drawing, printmaking, graphic designing, painting, and sculpting.
Navarro employed the use of mixed media in much of his work, sometimes fusing found objects
and metal parts. A few of his major mixed media works include I’m Sorry Jesus, I Can’t Attend
Christmas This Year (1965), Homage to Dodjie Laurel (1969), and A Flying Contraption for Mr.
Icarus (1984).
Lucrecia R. Kasilag
 (31 August 1918 – 16 August 2008)

was a Filipino composer and pianist. She is particularly known for incorporating indigenous Filipino
instruments into orchestral productions