NATIONAL ARTIST FOR DANCE
dance company in the country. Some
Francisca R. Aquino 1899-1983
Year of Conferment: 1973
Francisca Reyes Aquino is one of the
pioneers of Filipino folk dances. She is
a teacher, nationalist, and the first
Filipina to be awarded of the Order of
the National Artists for Dance. Her
1926 thesis entitled "Philippine Folk
Dances and Games" has been a
thorough guide to many educators and
students in understanding the different
dances in the country. She received
several other awards, which include
the Republic Award of Merit awarded
by the former President Ramon
Magsaysay and a Cultural Award from
United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Ramon Obusan 1938-2006
Year of Conferment: 2006
National artist Ramon Obusan is a
dancer, choreographer, stage designer,
and artistic director. In 1972, equipped
with valuable amount of research and
artifacts, Obusan established the
Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group
(ROFG), a dance company that
reflects the culture of Filipinos in dance
and music. The ROFG performed
dance productions and rituals from
ethnolinguistic and indigenous
groups including those from the
natives of Cordillera, the Bagobo, the
Aeta, the Meranaw (or Maranao), and
the T'boli.
Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula 1929-1999
Year of Conferment: 1988
Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula was the dance
director of the Bayanihan Philippine
National Folk Dance Company (now
the Bayanihan Dance Company),
which is considered as the oldest
of her most recognized dances are the
Singkil, Vinta, Tagabili, Pagdiwata,
and Salidsid.
Leonor O. Goquingco 1917-2005
Year of Conferment: 1976
Leonor Orosa Goquingco, also known
as Cristina Luna, has been dubbed as
the Trailblazer, Mother of Philippine
Theater Dance, and Dean of Filipino
Performing Arts Critics. Goquingeo is a
National Artist for Dance. Goquingco
was gifted with many talents that
included piano playing, scene and
costume design, sculpture, acting,
direction, dance, and choreography.
She has pioneered the blending of folk
dance and ballet, making the latter
more viable. Her famous
choreographies include the following:
The Firebirds, The Gowns, and Noli
Dance Suite. Inspired by dances of
the Igorots, the Moros, and Christians,
she produced Filipinescas: Philippine
Life, Legend and Lore in Dance in
1960. Her book The Dances of the
Emerald Isles: A Great Philippine
Heritage published in 1980 covers a
comprehensive cross section of the
inestimable music and dance tradition
of the Filipinos.
Alice Reyes 1942-
Year of Conferment: 2014
Alice Reyes is the legendary founder of
Ballet Philippines, the country's
premier ballet dance company. A
dancer and choreographer, Reyes
extensively trained abroad at the
Colorado College and the Sarah
Lawrence College. She received
grants from the John D. Rockefeller III
Foundation and the Music Promotion
Foundation of the Philippines. She is
the choreographer of favorite ballet
productions such as Cinderella and
Romeo and Juliet, and Filipino works
such as Amada, Itim-Asu, Bayanihan
Remembered, and Mga Babae. Her
lasting contribution is the
professionalization of dance as a
career
NATIONAL ARTIST FOR FILM
Lino Brocka 1939-1991
Year of Conferment: 1997
The contribution of Lino Brocka to
Philippine cinema is unparalleled, with
66 films that "breathed life and hope for
the marginalized sectors of society,"
according to NCCA. Awarded the
National Artist for Cinema in 1997, Lino
Brocka has harvested countless
awards and recognitions here and
abroad for his films that are "a bounty
of stunning images, memorable
conversations that speak volumes on
love, betrayal and redemption,
pestilence and plenty all pointing
towards the recovery and rediscovery
of our nation." In 1975, he directed the
movie Maynila sa mga Kuko ng
Liwanag. The said film is considered
as one of the classics of Filipino
cinema. His other films include
Wanted: Perfect Mother (1970),
Tinimbang Ka ngunit Kulang (1974),
Insiang (1976), Jaguar (1979), Bona
(1980), Macho Dancer (1988), Ora Pro
Nobis (Fight for Us, 1989), and
Gumapang Ka sa Lusak (1990).
Ishmael Bernal 1938-1996 Year of
Conferment: 2001
Awarded the National Artist for Film in
2001, Ishmael Bernal is considered to
be one of the pillars of Philippine
cinema. In 1982, Bernal directed the
critically acclaimed Himala starring
Nora Aunor, the country's most popular
celebrity at that time." Bernal's
contribution to Philippine cinema is
both liberating and aesthetic as he
pushes the artistry. According to the
NCCA, "polishing its visuals, or
innovating in the medium, he manages
to send his message across: to fight
the censors, free the artists, give
justice to the oppressed, and enlighten
as well as entertain the audience."
Some of his other famous works
include the films Dalawang Pugad,
Isang Ibon (Two Nests, One Bird,
1977), Lagi na Lamang Ba Akong
Babae? (Will I Always Be Just a
Woman?, 1978), Isang Gabi sa lyo,
Isang Gabi sa Akin (A Night With You,
A Night With Me, 1978), Ikaw Ay Akin
(You're Mine, 1979), and Menor de
Edad (Underage, 1979).
Gerardo "Gerry" De Leon 1913-1981
Year of Conferment: 1982
National Artist for Film Gerardo De
Leon holds the sole distinction as the
most awarded film director in the
country for the prestigious Filipino
Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences
(FAMAS) Awards, the country's
equivalent to the Oscars. De Leon
finished medicine but did not practice it
to answer a calling in cinema. Amat
Anak was his directorial debut, but De
Leon's baptism in Philippine cinema
royalty was in the film Ang Maestra
starring Rosa del Rosario and Rogelio
de la Rosa. De Leon also popularized
the following films: Sawa sa Lumang
Simboryo, Noli Me Tangere, Sisa,
Dyesebel, The Gold Bikini, Banaue,
and The Brides of Blood Island.
Fernando Poe, Jr. 1939-2004
Year of Conferment: 2006
Fernando Poe, Jr. (also known as "Da
King" or FPJ) has been given the title
the king of Philippine movies. He is
one of the most admired Filipino film
actors of all time. He is famous for his
role as Flavio in the mythical Ang
Panday series. He also starred in other
famous films such as Apollo Robles
(1961), Batang Maynila (Manila Boy,
1962), Mga Alabok sa Lupa (Dusts in
Land, 1967), Ako ang Katarungan (I
Am Justice, 1974), Tatak ng Alipin
(Mark of a Slave, 1975), Totoy Bato
(1977), Asedillo (1971), and Partida
(Party, 1985). FPJ is not only an
exceptional actor; he is also a film
producer and politician as well. In
2004, he ran an unsuccessful bid for
the presidential election. Subsequently,
his political rival, former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, declared him
a National Artist for Film in 2006.
Eddie S. Romero 1924-2013
Year of Conferment: 2003
Eddie Romero's works, as cited, "are
delivered in an utterly simple style
minimalist, but never empty, always
calculated, precise and functional, but
never predictable." Romero's presence
in Philippine cinema is one that is
"devoted to the art and commerce of
cinema." Perhaps his most recognized
work, Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo
Ngayon? is Romero's love letter to his
country, as it tried to portray the
common Filipino in the backdrop of
history and imagination. Another
classic by Romero is Kamakalawa, a
film that probed into indigenous
precolonial Philippines. He is also
responsible for bringing an on-screen
adaptation of Jose Rizal's Noli Me
Tangere in a 13-part series. The list of
his films also includes Aguila, Hari sa
Hari, Lahi sa Lahi, Isumpa Mo Giliw,
and Faces of Love.
NATIONAL ARTISTS FOR VISUAL
ARTS
Napoleon Abueva 1930-
Year of Conferment: 1976
Born in Tagbilaran, Bohol, Napoleon
Abueva is considered the Father of
Modem Philippine Sculpture. Abueva is
also the youngest awardee to receive
the National Artist award. His works
used varied materials ranging from
hardwood to coral and adobe. He is
the man behind famous artworks such
as The Transfiguration at the Eternal
Gardens Memorial Park, the Water
Buffalo and the bronze image of
Teodoro M. Kalaw found in the façade
of the National Library. The death
masks of famous personalities such as
Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Fernando
Poe, Jr. are also credited to this
talented national artist
Ang Kiukok 1931-2005
Year of Conferment: 2001
Ang Kiukok was Born to immigrant
Chinese parents Vicente Ang and Chin
Lim. He is one of the most talented and
energetic figures who began his
flourishing career during the 1960s. His
works continue to inspire and influence
Filipinos. Looking at his works you will
be captivated by visual intensity and
also be overwhelmed by its meaning.
Art critics praise Ang Kiukok for works
which are, as cited by the NCCA,
"imbued with nationalist fervor and
sociological agenda." Some of his
famous works include Geometric
Landscape (1969), Dog Fight, Pieta
(1962), which won a bronze medal in
Saigon, and the Seated Figure (1979),
which was auctioned at Singapore's
Sotheby's.
Victorio C. Edades 1895-1985
Year of Conferment: 1976
National artist Victorio C. Edades is the
Father of Modernism in Philippine Art.
Edades showed his attraction toward
the style of impressionists such as
Cézanne and Paul Gauguin early in his
career. As compared with Amorsolo
who liked to use bright and vivid hues,
Edades's colors were dark and gloomy.
Most of the subjects found in the works
of Edades are Filipino laborers in their
everyday situations. His paintings,
according to NCCA, depict the working
class in "rough, bold impasto strokes,
and standing tall and singular in his
advocacy and practice." Some of the
remarkable works of art by Victorio
Edades are The Sketch, Poinsettia
Girl, The Wrestlers, Portrait of the
Professor, and Japanese Girl.
Cesar Legaspi 1917-1994
Year of Conferment: 1990
Cesar Legaspi was recognized as the
pioneer of the Neorealist movement in
the country. Legaspi's art is said to
have paved the way to the birth of
modern art in the Philippines.
Vicente S. Manansala 1910-1981
Year of Conferment: 1981
National artist Vicente Manansala was
an extraordinary illustrator and cubist
painter. Born in Macabebe, Pampanga,
Manansala's paintings depicted the
barrio and the city together and were
often characterized, according to
NCCA, as "as visions of reality
teetering on the edge of abstraction."
Manansala trained in Paris and at the
Otis School of Drawing in Los Angeles.
His famous masterpiece, the Madonna
of the Slums represents a mother and
child from the country. In his other
canvasses such as the Jeepney and
Birdman, he combined the elements of
provincial folk culture with the busy
streets of the city
Hérnando R. Ocampo 1911-1978 Year
of Conferment: 1991
Being a self-taught painter did not stop
Hernando R. Ocampo from becoming
a National Artist for Visual Arts. He is
not just an exceptional visual artist.
Ocampo's works, as cited, are often
praised to have "provided an
understanding and awareness of the
harsh social realities in the country."
Ocampo invented a new mode of
perception that demonstrated the
atmosphere and the wildlife of the
Philippines. He used movement and
bold colors in his artworks. As a visual
artist, some of his popular works
include Nude with Candle and Flower,
Ina ng Balon. Kasaysayan ng Lahi,
Man and Carabao, Revelation 8,
Ancestors, and Fiesta.
Fernando C. Amorsolo 1892-1972 Year
of Conferment: 1972
Fernando Amorsolo is the country's
first national artist, heralded as the
"Grand Old Man of Philippine Art." He
started his art education as an
apprentice at age 13 and formally
enrolled at the Art School of the Liceo
de Manila and then in the University of
the Philippines. A study grant provided
by business tycoon Enrique Zobel de
Ayala enabled Amorsolo to study at the
Academia de San Fernando in Madrid.
National Artist for Literature Nick
Joaquin described Amorsolo's work as
"the rapture of a sensualist utterly in
love with the earth, with the Philippine
sun..... Most of Amorsolo's works
depicted the rich rural landscape of the
Philippines. Some of Amorsolo's
famous works include Rice Planting,
Defence of a Filipina Woman's Honor,
Planting Rice (1946), and Sunday
Morning Going to Town (1958).
Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco 1912-
1969 Year of Conferment: 1973
More commonly known as "Botong,"
Carlos Francisco was a muralist from
Angono, Rizal. He became famous
because of his massive murals and for
his outstanding depiction of historical
pieces. Botong's artistic genius is in his
ability to turn "fragments of the historic
past into vivid records of the legendary
courage of the ancestors of his race."
Francisco's impressive works include
Blood Compact, Bayanihan sa Bukid,
First Mass at Limasawa, Magpupukot,
The Martyrdom of Rizal, and Fiesta
Arturo "Art" R. Luz 1926- Year of
Conferment: 1997
Arturo Rogerio Luz was a prominent
printmaker, sculptor, and art
administrator who was named as a
national artist for visual arts in 1997.
Luz was a minimalist and he used
geometric abstracts that "exemplify an
ideal of sublime austerity in expression
and form." Luz also pioneered the
professionalization of the art galleries
that "set a prestigious influence over
generations of Filipino artists." Credited
to his name are some of the country's
best masterpieces such as Bagong
Taon, Man with Guitar, Self-Portrait,
and Cities of the Past. His Black and
White mural can be viewed in the hall
of CCP's Bulwagang Carlos V.
Francisco (Little Theater).
J. Elizalde Navarro 1924-1999 Year of
Conferment: 1999
Born in Antique, Jerry Elizalde Navarro
is both a painter and sculptor whose
works, aside from painting and
sculpture, include graphic design,
printmaking, and mask-making in
hardwood which "merge the human
and the animal." He represented the
country at the São Paolo Biennale in
Brazil for sculpture. Some of his most
illustrious works are I'm Sorry Jesus, I
Can't Attend Christmas This Year,
Homage to Dodjie Laurel, A Flying
Contraption for Mr. Icarus, Singkil, Is
He the Man?; and The Seasons.
Guillermo E. Tolentino 1890-1976 Year
of Conferment: 1973
In 1973, Guillermo Estrella Tolentino
was named as National Artist for Visual
Ars for his countless contributions in
Philippine sculpture that are iconic and
truly a pride of the Filipino people. He
was a master in classical sculpture,
having been "a product of the Revival
Period in Philippine art." Tolentino was
trained and educated in the Royal
Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Many
of his brilliant sculptures include
Oblation, Bonifacio Monument (in
Caloocan), the figures of Jose Rizal (in
UP), President Quezon (in Quezon
Memorial) and President Magsaysay
(in GSIS Building). Tolentino also
designed the medals for the Ramon
Magsaysay Award and the seal of the
Republic of the Philippines.
Jose T. Joya 1931-1995 Year of
Conferment: 2003
A former dean of the College of Fine
Arts of UP, Jose T. Joya initiated
abstract expressionism in the country.
Abstract expressionism is the use of
the abstract style to convey strong
emotional or expressive content. His
masterpieces showed "dynamic
spontaneity" and "quick gestures" of
action painting. Majority of his works
were strongly influenced by the tropical
landscapes of the country's beautiful
islands. Some of his inspiring
masterpieces are Nanking, Hills of
Nikko, Mariveles, Beethoven Listening
to the Blues, Cityscape, Granadean
Arabesque, and Biennial
Benedicto "Bencab" R. Cabrera 1942-
Year of Conferment: 2006Also known
as "BenCab," this national artist is a
brilliant painter who has "upheld the
primacy of drawing over the decorative
color." BenCab's first experience of the
arts transpired through his elder sibling
Salvador, who was already a
recognized artist. As a lyrical
expressionist, BenCab represented
Philippine society through Sabel, a
symbolic scavenger which he
describes as "a melancholic symbol of
dislocation, despair, and isolation the
personification of human dignity
threatened by life's vicissitudes, and
the vast inequities of Philippine
society." Cabrera's greatest
contributions to the Philippine arts are
Madonna with Objects (1991), Studies
of Sabel (diptych, 1991) People
Waiting (1989), The Indifference
(1988), and Waiting for the Monsoon
(1986).
Abdulmari Asia Imao 4 1936-2014
Year of Conferment: 2006
A native of Sulu, this national artist was
a remarkable sculptor, painter,
ceramist, photographer, writer, and
cultural researcher. National Artists
Guillermo Tolentino and Napoleon
Abueva had mentored him to become
the artist that he was. Imao
incorporated in this works native motifs
and designs such as the sarimanok,
the naga, and the ukkil which has
helped develop among ethnic groups
trust and confidence essential for the
development of a civilized society. The
Industry Brass Mural and Mural Relief
on Filmmaking in Manila City Hall are
some of his notable works.
Francisco Coching 1919-1998 Year of
Conferment: 2001
Francisco Coching is a comic book
creator with 53 comic book novels to
his name. Unable to finish his studies,
he took on an apprenticeship at
Liwayway magazine under Tony
Velasquez. His works include the
following: Hagibis, El Indio, Don
Cobarde, Pagano, Dumagit, Lapu-
Lapu, Bulalakaw, Waldas, Talipandas,
Palasig, Movie Fan, Gat Sibasib, and
Satur. On Coching, art critic Alfredo
Roces noted that "for two decades,
Francisco Coching's fanciful stories
captured the popular imagination.
Borrowing from the long tradition of
romances and corridos along with the
moro-moro and zarzuela of the colonial
era, Coching reimagined Philippine
history in his enduring works."