NATIONAL ARTISTS OF

THE PHILIPPINES
VISUAL ARTS (Paintings)
FERNANDO AMORSOLO
He is known as the “Grand Old Man of the
Philippine art” and was the first National Artist
of the country. Lighting is the most prominent
element of Amorsolo’s painting. His trademark
was the backlighting technique which makes the
subjects of his paintings seem to glow. Also,
aside from the application of light in his pieces,
his works of the art were also notable for
reflecting the artistic and cultural heritage of
the Philippines.
Some Significant works of Amorsolo
Benedicto Cabrera
He is Popularly known as BenCab, is an
award-winning painter and printmaker who
was tagged as a master of the Philippine
contemporary art. The most popular subject
of his painting was “Sabel”, the woman
scavenger roaming the streets of her
hometown when she was young. Sabel
depicts poverty and inequalities in the
Philippine society.
Bencab was internationally known and
had been exhibiting in Europe, United
States of America, and Asia. In his around
forty years of being a visual artist, he
received various awards, and two of
these recognitions are the National artist
award and the Gawad CCP para sa sining.
Hernando Ocampo
He was one of the Thirteen Modern, who
paved the way to art modernism in the
Philippines. Compared to the classical
paintings, his works were more radical
and more poetic. Ocampo’s pieces show
the kind of society there was after World
War II
It was his abstract painting that significantly
contributed to the Philippine modern art. He
developed a new style of abstraction through his
use of fierce and striking colors. His works proved
that abstract and non-traditional style of painting
can also result to nationalistic art. His major
artworks were Genesis, Calvary, Slum Dwellers,
Nude with Cradle and Flower, The Resurrection,
Fiesta, etc.
Carlos “Botong” Francisco
He was a muralist from Angono, Rizal. For nearly
three decades, Francisco painted murals showing
the historical past of the Philippines. Most of his
subjects depict the life in his hometown and
highlight the lives of the farmers and the
fishermen. The significant element of Francisco’s
paintings were their lines and shapes that seem
like cutouts and their lush tropical colors.
was so called a “Triumvirate” along with other
modernists like Galo Ocampo and Victorio
Edades, who introduced modern art to the
country. His major works include Blood Compact,
The Martyrdom of Rizal, bayanihan, Sandugo,
Portrait of Purita, First Mass at Limasawa, The
Invasion of Limahong, etc.
Victorio Edades
The Father of Modern Philippine Painting and the
original bad boy of Philippine visual art. He was one of
the Triumvirate who introduced modernism in the
Philippine visual art. Upon his arrival in the Philippines
after studying abroad, Edades shocked many Filipinos
on his exhbit due to his non-controversial style of
painting. He deviated from Amorsolo’s use of happy
and bright colors and used dark and sad hues in his
paintings instead. Depicted in his works were the
hardships in the life of the laborers and the
Lower class in the society.
The Sketch, The Builders, Japanese girl, Mother and
Daughter, The Wrestler and Poinsettia Girl are
among his famous pieces
Cesar Legaspi
He is one of the Thirteen Moderns, who promoted
modern arts in the country. The Thirteen moderns
were the artists who followed the steps of the
triumvirates. These artists pioneered Modernism. He
was a neo-realist (which focused on realistic
portrayals of daily life) whose important
contribution to modern art was his refinement of
cubism in the Philippine context. He indigenized
cubism and produced art works showing local
temperaments
Some of his major art pieces are The
Beggars, The Stairway, The Ritual, The
Survivor, Gadget I and II, Flight, Struggle,
Peace, Bayanihan, Façade, Ovary, Idols
of the Third Eye, etc.
Arturo Luz
He is an abstractionist known for his minimalist (a trend in
sculpture and painting that arose in the 1950s and used
simple, typically massive, forms.) painting and sculptures
which exude sophisticated simplicity. He started doing art at
the age 17 without prior training. Then, later on, had his first
art lesson under the tutelage of Pablo Amorsolo, brother of
Fernando Amorsolo. He then enrolled at the University of
Santo Tomas and took up Fine Arts. He also studied abroad, in
US and Europe.
His major painting pieces include Procession,
Bagong Taon, Vendedor de Flores, Skipping Rope,
Candle Vendors, Self-Portrait, Night Glows, Grand
Finale, and Cyclist series
Federico Aguilar Alcuaz
He was the artist known for his gestural abstract
expressionistic paintings using a variety of media like
acrylic and oil. He was also a sculptor who produced
abstract and figurative sculptors made of materials
like ceramics, paper and mixed media. His works
include Reveries of Love, Still Life with Landscape,
Panoramic View of Manila, Tres Marias, and Tap
Room, among others.
Jeremias Elizalde Navarro
He is popularly known as J. Elizalde Navarro. He is a
painter and a sculptor. As a painter, Navarro created
both abstract and figure paintings using oil and
watercolour. The prominent elements in his abstracts
works were its geometric forms and spontaneous
strokes. Meanwhile, his figure paintings were
inspired by Balinese art and culture. As a sculptor, he
was popular for his masks, carved in hardwood, with
combined features of human and animal and known
for his assemblages of combined metals.
Among his remarkable works are I’m
sorry Jesus I can’t attend the Mass,
Grand Prix: Homage to Dodgie Laurel, A
Flying Contraption for Mr. Icarus, The
Seasons, and All Because of Humpy
Dumpy’s Fall.
Ang Kiukok (Hanyu Pinyin)
He was known for his highly expressionistic works
containing powerful meanings. Angst, anguish and
anger are the glaring emotions contained in his
cubistic works as these were created in the time
of Martial Law. Some of his famous paintings
include Geometric Landscape, Pieta and Seated
Figure.
Jose T. Joya
He is an abstractionist known for his “gestural
paintings.” The prominent elements of his
artworks include their color harmony inspired by
the country’s landscapes, their kinetic energy,
and their spontaneity. Joya applies paints in
broad brush strokes either by using brushes or
spatula or by directly applying paint from the
tube or by splashing paint into the canvas.
He is also known as a multimedia artist who
painted on ceramics such as vessels, plates and
tiles. As an artist, he promoted visual arts to the
younger generation by conducting regional
workshops.
Some of his works include Approaching Storm,
Space Transfiguration, Beethoven Listening to
Blues, City Entering the Edge of Sundown, and
Dimension of Fear etc.