The Most Famous Filipino Artists 

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 colorful 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 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 Granadean 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.

Ang Kiukok (1935-2005)

Born to Chinese immigrants, Ang Kiukok is the pioneer of Philippine modern figurative
expressionism. Rewarded as the country’s National Artist in 2001, he was one of the most
successful commercial figures on the local art scene from the 1960s until his death from cancer
in 2005. Like Amorsolo, his paintings are popular at auctions and have received exceptionally
high bids at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. He is known for his distinct cubist and surrealist portrayals
of the crucifixion of Christ and mother and child. However, he is acclaimed for his series
of Fishermen at Sea, which connects both energy, faith and the struggle of fishermen under a
vibrant crimson sun labouring together to bring in the haul for the day.

His notable works are represented in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National
Historical Museum of Taipei and the National Museum in Singapore

Benedicto Cabrera (1942-present)

Fondly known as ‘BenCab’ in the Philippines, Cabrera is the best-selling commercial painter
of his generation and a prominent head of the local contemporary art scene. He studied under
José Joya at the University of the Philippines and received his degree in Fine Arts in 1963. His
fruitful career has spanned five decades, where his paintings, etchings, sketches, and prints have
been exhibited across Asia, Europe, and the US. He currently resides in the chilly northern hill
station of Baguio, where he established his own four-level BenCab Museum on Asin Road that
features an eclectic selection of indigenous artifacts, personal works, and an overwhelming
collection of paintings from contemporary Filipino artists

Kidlat Tahimik (1942-present)

A close friend of BenCab and Baguio native is critically acclaimed director Kidlat Tahimik.
Known as the father of Philippine independent film, the government recently conferred upon
him the Order of National Artist for Film in October 2018. Born Eric de Guia, Kidlat Tahimik
means ‘silent lightning’ in Tagalog. Before entering cinema, Kidlat studied at the prestigious
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, earning a Masters in Business Administration.
His work is associated with Third Cinema, a film movement that denounces neo-colonialism and
the capitalist system. His films have been prominent at film festivals across America, Europe,
and Asia.

He is highly respected among directors Werner Herzog and Francis Ford Copolla, who were both
instrumental in helping him present his most famous semi-autobiographical work Perfumed
Nightmare in 1977. The film combines documentary and essay techniques that provide a
somewhat humorous but sharp critique of the social divide between the rich and poor in the
Philippines.

If you happen to be in Baguio, drop by his artist café and vegetarian restaurant Oh My Gulay,
which rests in the heart of Session Road on the fifth floor of the La Azotea Building. The old
building does not house an elevator, but the long way up is worth the trip and view. The café is a
quirky wonderland of Kidlat’s imagination, featuring wooden bridges, bright blue fish ponds,
paintings and native sculptures surrounded by a healthy array of plants. On Assumption Road, he
created a massive artist village inspired by his first café, called Ili-likha (or, to create), which is a
must-see before leaving Baguio.

Eduardo Masferré (1909-1995)

Further north of Baguio, in the mountainous province of Sagada, Eduardo Masferré was born to
a Filipino mother and Spanish soldier. He is regarded as the Father of Philippine photography.
He documented with great detail the everyday lives of indigenous people of the Cordilleras. The
self-taught photographer processed his own film in a makeshift darkroom and managed to even
produce prints without electricity. His photographs capture the culture of the people in his
community and serve as a documentation of their customary practices and rituals. Masferré’s
photographs have found their way into exhibitions around the world. The Smithsonian Institution
carries at least 120 prints of his works for the National Museum of Natural History in
Washington D.C.

He is remembered for his book on the People of the Philippine Cordillera Photographs 1934-
1956, which was published in 1988. A country inn and café in Sagada is named after him and is
worth the visit to see copies of his prints and purchase souvenirs created in Masferré’s honor.

‘Sagada’, 1952 | © Masferre

Agnes Arellano (1949-present)

Born to a family of prominent male architects, sculptress Agnes Arellano is best known for her
surrealist and expressionist work in plaster, bronze and cold-cast marble. Her sculptures
highlight the female body and draw from themes surrounding sexuality, religion, and mysticism.
Borrowing from the term of poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, Agnes attributes her work to
‘inscapes’, that assert an internal unity among various elements in her installations and
sculptures. Drawing from the tragic death of her parents and sister from a house fire in 1981, her
work explores themes of creation and destruction, and the cycles of life from birth to death.
‘Carcass-Cornucopia’, 1987 | © Agnes Arellano
Roberto Chabet (1937-2013)

Born Roberto Rodriguez, he used his mother’s maiden name Chabet when he began his career in
art. He was a mentor to many students at the University of the Philippines, where he taught for
over 30 years, and is acknowledged as the father of conceptual art in the Philippines. Chabet
initially studied architecture but his conceptual art installations, collages, and sculptures in the
1960s and 70s made him a rebellious figure on the local art scene. He was the founding museum
director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines from 1967-1970, where he established the 13
Artists Awards that highlight the achievements of young artists whose works show a
contemporary view of art-making and thinking.

Roberto Chabet’s ‘Onethingafteranother’, at the Mission House, Manila Biennale 2018 | © Mark
Demayo
He describes himself as a “custodian” and his work as “creatures of memory”. His multi-faceted
skills in drawing, sculpture, installations, photography, printmaking, and collages question
modernity. His works reflect the importance of space and how the displacement of ordinary
objects can alter their meaning.

Napoleon Abueva (1930-2018)

Noted as the Father of Modern Filipino sculpture, Abueva attended the University of the
Philippines with Joya and was mentored by noted sculptor Guillermo Tolentino, at the College of
Fine Arts. Born in Bohol, he is also the youngest National Artist awardee appointed by then
President Marcos, at the age of 46. His expertise was seen in a wide array of materials such as
hard wood, abode, steel, cement, marble, and bronze.

The Cross at Mt. Samat. Bataan completed in 1970 | © Abueva / 1Bataan

Abueva is adept in traditional representation and modern abstract forms of sculpture. A trip
around the University of the Philippines will show you a number of his works, such as
the University Gateway and Nine Muses near the old faculty centre. He was also responsible for
the relief marble sculptures seen in the war memorial cross in Mt. Samat, Bataan.

It is the second highest cross in the world and the tallest in Asia. Under the commission of the
Philippine government, Abueva collaborated with designer Lorenzo del Castillo to create a
shrine that commemorates the thousands of Filipino and American soldiers who lost their lives
during the Japanese-led Bataan Death March in 1942. Make sure to walk up the flight of stairs
inside the cross to reach the top, and experience the fabulous views of Bataan.
Vicente Manansala's canvases were described as masterpieces that brought the cultures of the
barrio and the city together. His Madonna of the Slums is a portrayal of a mother and child
from the countryside who became urban shanty residents once in the city.
Manansala was the developer of transparent cubism. A fine example of this "transparent and
translucent" technique is his composition, Kalabaw (Carabao) He is known for fusing the
cultures of the barrio and the city in his paintings.
Vicente Manansala (1910 - 1981) : Still life - fish | Filipino art, Philippine art, Watercolor fish.

Damián Domingo y Gabor (February 12, 1796 – July 26, 1834) was the father of Philippine
painting.

Juan Luna =Spoliarium is one of the most famous paintings in the Philippines. ... He actually
indicated the purpose of Juan Luna for painting Spoliarium which is painted to awaken
Filipinos from ignorance, blindness, mental darkness and oppression.
Juan Luna was a renowned visual artist and political activist during the Philippine Revolution in
the late 1800s. As an impressionist painter, he gained international fame when his
massive masterpiece "Spoliarium" won the top prize in the 1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts