Filipino artists and their contribution to contemporary arts
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Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972)
Labelled the country’s first National Artist in 1972 by then President Marcos, Fernando Amorsolo is often known as the ‘Grand Old Man of Philippine Art’. The Spanish-trained realist developed a backlighting technique, where his colourful depictions of local people reflect the radiance of the Philippine sun. The figures and illuminated landscapes magically glow on the canvas. Despite his deteriorating health and failing eyesight, he remained prolific until the end, producing up to 10 paintings a month until his death at the age of 80. Amorsolo’s creativity defines the nation’s culture and heritage to this day.
The Vargas Museum – found inside the campus of his alma mater, the University of the Philippines, displays a notable selection of his work.
‘The Fruit Gatherer’, 1950 | Fernando Amorsolo
José Joya (1931-1995)
A Filipino pioneer of Abstract expressionism, multi-media painter José Joya uses bold and vibrant colours with a variety of painting techniques, layering, loose impasto strokes and controlled drips. His harmonious colours are influenced by Philippine landscapes and tropical wildlife. His mastery lies in gestural paintings, where the paint is applied spontaneously on canvas, sometimes directly out of the tube or through the use of broad strokes with brushes.
‘Granadean Arabesque’, 1958 | © Joya
Joya influenced younger artists to explore other mediums such as pottery and printmaking while he served as the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. In 1964, Joya represented the country in the Venice Biennial, showcasing the advancement of modern art in the Philippines.
His most notable painting from 1958, called Grenadian Arabesque, is a large scale yellow hued mural that features clusters of sand and impasto. It can be viewed at the Ateneo Art Gallery in Manila.
Pacita Abad (1946-2004)
Born on the northern island of Batanes, the internationally revered artist first obtained a degree in Political Science at the University of the Philippines. Her staunch activism against the Marcos regime in the 1970s, led her to move to San Francisco to initially study law – but she found her true calling with art. Her paintings consist of vibrant colors and a constant change of patterns and materials. Earlier work dealt with socio-political depictions of people, indigenous masks, tropical flowers, and underwater scenes. Pacita created a unique technique called ‘trapunto’, where she stitches and stuffs her vibrant canvases with a wide range of materials such as cloth, metal, beads, buttons, shells, glass and ceramics, to give her work a three-dimensional look. Her many travels across the globe with her husband have served as an inspiration for the techniques and materials used in her art. Pacita has participated in over 60 exhibitions across the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
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