J.

ELIZALDE NAVARRO
National Artist for Visual Arts
(1999)
(May 22, 1924 – June 10, 1999)
J. (Jeremias) Elizalde Navarro was born on
May 22, 1924 in Antique. He is a versatile
artist, being both a proficient painter and
sculptor. His devotion to the visual arts
spanned 40 years of drawing, printmaking,
graphic designing, painting and sculpting.
His masks carved in hardwood merge the
human and the animal; his paintings
consists of abstracts and figures in oil and
watercolor, and his assemblages fuse
found objects and metal parts. He has
done a series of figurative works drawing
inspiration from Balinese art and culture,
his power as a master of colors largely
evident in his large four-panel The
Seasons (1992: Prudential Bank collection).

A Navarro sampler includes his ’50s and

’60s fiction illustrations for This Week of the
Manila Chronicle, and the rotund, India-ink
figurative drawings for Lydia Arguilla’s
storybook, Juan Tamad. Three of his major "To me, a real artist shoots in so many
mixed media works are I’m Sorry Jesus, I directions, and he shouldn’t give a hoot
Can’t Attend Christmas This Year (1965), about what people will say. I don’t
and his Homage to Dodjie Laurel (1969:
Ateneo Art Gallery collection), and A Flying
believe in style. To me, it’s a point of
Contraption for Mr. Icarus (1984: Lopez submission." Aspects of His Life...
Museum). -Jerry Elizalde Navarro

Events: Exhibits
National Artists in the BPI Art Collection:
Images of Nation
Ayala Museum, MAKATI | PHILIPPINES
FEB 12, 2019 - MAY 19, 2019
Manila, Philippines – BPI Foundation and Ayala
Museum celebrate Filipino artistry this National
Arts Month with the launch of the ‘BPI: Images of
Nation’ exhibit, which will showcase all-National
Artist pieces from the Bank of the Philippine
Islands’ (BPI) private art collection. The exhibit
runs from February 12 to May 19, 2019, at the
third-floor galleries of Ayala Museum.
“We are one with BPI Foundation in sharing the
works of Filipino National Artists from their
collection with the general public,” said Mariles
Gustilo, Ayala Museum Director. “It gives us great
pleasure to provide our guests a platform to
experience the extraordinary vision and
aesthetic excellence of our National Artists.
Through this endeavor we aim to inspire pride in
being Filipino.”
Jerry Elizalde Navarro: In Private
Galerie Stephanie, QUEZON CITY | PHILIPPINES
JAN 19, 2019 - JAN 31, 2019
National Artist for painting Jerry Elizalde Navarro
may not have the same recall now as many of his
peers, like Bencab, Ang Kiukok, Jose Joya,
Fernando Amorsolo, or Vicente Manansala, who,
by their ubiquitous presence and prominence in
the auction scene over the past decade, remain in
the public consciousness. Instead, he occupies a
more quiet place; mythic still, because of his
prodigious output which are well-placed in
private collections and museums, but rather
impalpable to the general public, particularly the
younger set of art collectors and connoisseurs. Yet
this was not always the case.
Navarro, in his lifetime, explored and excelled in
various art fields. An elegant writer and poet,
sculptor, graphic designer, and advertising
maverick, he represented the Philippines in many
international biennales for sculpture (Sao Paulo
1967, 1970,1972), and graphic design (Brno 1974,
1978) and participated in designing the Philippine
pavilions in various world fairs and expos (1964
New York World Fair, 1975 Ocean Expo Japan, 1977
International Tokyo Trade Fair, 1979 Hamburg
Trade Fair). His interdisciplinary practice;
together with his wanderlust which landed him
various grants, teaching positions, and
exhibitions in Australia, the USA, Japan, and
Indonesia; have made his works among the most
elegant, cosmopolitan, and sophisticated among
the Philippine artists of his time, vaulting his
reputation as an artist, and garnering him the
National Artist Award in 1999.
Galerie Stephanie, in its pursuit to provide
excellent artists, presents “In Private: Jerry Elizalde
Navarro“ an intimate exhibition which features
thirteen works on paper composed of two
collages, eight graphic works and illustrations,
and four en plein air drawings; to provide an
insight to the creative process of the genius that
is Jerry Elizalde Navarro, and make him more
accessible to the general public. In the various
works which preoccupied the artist in his private
time, we see how he mastered line, color, and
composition, and gain insight into the themes
and subjects which tickled his imagination.
Position Paper
Galerie Stephanie, QUEZON CITY | PHILIPPINES
SEP 07, 2018 - SEP 23, 2018
The diversity of artists – represented by artists
still in school to national artists, local artists from
Manila, Bacolod, Palawan, Japan, and foreign
artists from Indonesia and the USA – present a
compelling argument in behalf of paper. Their
works, which range from drawings, paintings,
collages, books, tape art, embroidery, and
intermedia, show the various effects achieved
by paper as either medium or support for art.
J. Elizalde Navarro: Selected Works
from the Fifties to the Seventies
SALCEDO AUCTIONS
MANILA | PHILIPPINES
FEB 20,2014 - FEB 23,2014
J. Elizalde Navarro (1924-1999), National Artist,
worked with various forms and media dealing
with themes that shifted from the serious to the
whimsical, each time expanding the boundaries
of his creative practice. Beginning with paintings
from his acclaimed Japanese period to his iconic
iron and Philippine hardwood sculptures and
mixed media assemblages, this exhibition
celebrates the life and art of a modernist master
who transgressed the quotidian and verged on
the enigmatic in his search for truth.
Works:
Famous Artworks of J. Elizalde Navarro:
Mother Earth Awesome In Her Beauty, 1997.
J. Elizalde Navarro’s (1924-1999) mastery of color
energizes the mind. Our planet is depicted only in
swirls of colors alive and breathing, with dominant
hues of yellows, dashes of reds and oranges,
daubs of blues and greens in Mother Earth
Awesome In Her Beauty (1997).The Four Seasons
(1992) has a swirl-and-arc pattern with greens for
spring, yellows and oranges for summer, deep
reds for autumn, and whites and grays for winter.
Other Artworks of J. Elizalde Navarro:
Awards/Citations:
1967 – represented the Philippines in
The Face of the
Sculpture Category, São Paulo Beinnale Brazil
Awakening God,
Balinese 1970 – represented the Philippines in
dated 1993
Fantasy, Sculpture Category, São Paulo Beinnale, Brazil
dated 1995 1972 – represented the Philippines at the
Biennale de art Graphiques, Brno,
Czechoslovakia
1980 – First Filipino artist to be represented at
YAYASAN Bali, Indonesia
1999 – Philippine National Artist
2014 – Leon Art Gallery Auction House "The
The Music Makers, Kingly Treasures"
Summer Storm, 1992
circa 1950

The Red Kimono, Notable Works of J. Elizalde Navarro:

Tokyo, 1965

1965 – I'm Sorry Jesus, I Can't Attend

Christmas This Year
1969 – Homage to Dodjie Laurel
1977 – designed the Philippine booth, 12th
Tokyo International Trade Fair Japan
1977 – designed the ASEAN Trade Fair, Manila, Submitted by:
My Heart Sings Philippines STEPHANIE MARIE L. YNION BSCE-3A
Ubud, 1991 1984 – A Flying Contraption for Mr. Icarus MARY LEE O. ELEMENTO BSCE-3A
1992 – The Seasons
Submitted to:
THEODORE CALANTAS