Philippine Artists and Their Contributions to Contemporary Arts

Flashcards covering prominent Philippine National Artists, their specific styles, major works, and the government awards that recognize their contributions to the development and preservation of Philippine arts.

Order of the National Artist Award

Also known as Orden ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining, this is the highest national recognition given to Filipino individuals for significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts, established on April 27, 1972, under Proclamation No. 1001.

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA)

Also known as the National Living Treasure Award, this is the government's recognition of the nation's finest traditional artists at present, focusing on the preservation of traditional arts.

Fernando Amorsolo

The first National Artist of the Philippines, known as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art," who developed a trademark backlighting technique where figures and objects appear aglow on canvas.

Carlos “Botong” Francisco

A distinguished mural painter who revived the art of mural painting and was known for using historical events as subject matter for his works, such as the First Mass at Limasawa and Blood Compact.

Guillermo E. Tolentino

National Artist for Sculpture in 1973 known for designing the seal of the Republic of the Philippines and creating the "UP Oblation."

Napoleon V. Abueva

Recognized as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture, he was skillful in representational and modern abstract sculptures using various materials and created "buoyant sculpture" designed to be viewed from a pool's surface.

Victorio C. Edades

Acknowledged as the Father of Modern Philippine Painting, he was known for using dark somber colors and focusing on subjects like factory workers and laborers.

Vicente Manansala

A cubist and National Artist known for paintings depicting realistic themes using an abstract or cubist style, who believed that the beauty of art is in the process of creation.

Hernando R. Ocampo

An abstract painter known for using shapes bounded with curved lines and intense colors; his masterpiece "Genesis" served as the basis for the design of the CCP Main Theater curtain.

Cesar Legaspi

An artist known for utilizing and refining cubism, a style that involves breaking parts into geometric shapes within his paintings.

Jeremias Elizalde Navarro

An artist known for his hardwood masks reflecting human and animal forms, abstract paintings in oil and watercolor, and assemblages.

Ang Kiukok

A dynamic figure in contemporary Philippine arts known for expressionistic cubism and vivid cubistic figures expressing nationalism and sociological agendas during the 1960s.

Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (BenCab)

A master of contemporary Philippine art known for his sketches of a scavenger named "Sabel," who serves as a symbol of dislocation, despair, and isolation.

Abdulmari Asia Imao

A native of Sulu and articulator of Philippine Muslim art and culture who popularized indigenous motifs like the Ukkil, Sarimanok, and Naga through his works.

Federico Aguilar Alcuaz

An artist mainly known for his oil and acrylic paintings, as well as sketches in ink, pencil, and watercolor.

Francisco Coching

Tagged as the "Dean of Filipino Illustrators," he is best known for his work on comics and illustrations, which led to their recognition as popular art.

Jose T. Joya

A pioneer of abstract expressionism in the Philippines known for gestural paintings and his most notable work, the Granadean Arabesque (1958).

Lauro “Larry” Alcala

National Artist for Visual Arts (2018) whose iconic work Slice of Life provided witty, symbolic illustrations of everyday Filipino life.

Arturo Luz

A minimalist and geometric abstract artist who established the Luz Gallery and served as the founding director of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 1976.