CHAPTER 3:

ARTISTS AND
ARTISANS
What is Artist?
An artist is a person who performs any of the creative
arts. This captures all forms of art. For an example, a
person who paints can be referred to as an artist. In
the modern world, the term artist is also used for
musicians as well. Here it is important to highlight
that the term artist is not only attributed for those
who create art as an occupation, but also for those
who are skilled in a particular activity such as
drawing, designing, composing, etc.
What is Artisan?

An artisan is a skilled worker who makes things by hand. This includes various
objects ranging from jewellery to furniture. An artisan should not be confused
with an artist because there is a clear difference in the things that they create.
An artisan is able to produce something that has a functional value; although it
should not be limited to its use value alone. However, it must be stressed that
there are cases where the objects created by an artisan has only decorative
value. Most artisans have the skill of adding aesthetic value to the objects that
they create. This transcends the object from a mere object of utility. This is why
most handmade objects are much more expensive than mass-produced objects.
Definitions of Artist and Artisan:
Artist: An artist is a person who performs any of the creative arts.
Artisan: An artisan is a skilled worker who makes things by hand.
Characteristics of Artist and Artisan:
Artistic Value:
Artist: The object has a clear artistic value.
Artisan: The object has an artistic value.
Functional Value:
Artist: The object has no functional value.
Artisan: The object has a functional value.
Object:
Artist: The object has a lot of aesthetic value and is appreciated for this quality as it
pleases the individual.
Artisan: The object though utilitarian has certain aesthetic attributes to it.
 The 10 Most Famous Filipino Artists
and their Masterworks

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 untilhis death at
the age of 80. Amorsolo’s creativity defines the nation’s culture and heritage to this day.

‘The Fruit Gatherer’,

This represents the modern item everyone
gathers and use in everyday lives. Being
with the modern technology eases one's life
and communication towards another from
any part of the world.


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)

The brightest color that the human eye can see, yellow is color. between
orange and green in the visible light spectrum. Associated. with sunshine
and brightness, as well as happiness and optimism, it
 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.

Singapore Art Bridge (2004)

The Alkaff Bridge featuring the artwork of Filipina

artist Pacita Abad has become a landmark in
Singapore's tourism and arts scene. It is a vibrant
symbol of the close cooperation and friendship
between Singapore and the Philippines
Gamja Flower
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.

‘The Fishermen’, (1981)

The depiction of the fishermen as they collect their

haul from the ocean may be a reference to the artist's
personal journey, and spiritual awakening. In the
painting men and fish are locked in an eternal
conflict between ignorance and enlightenment, with
the fish representing the latter.
 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. 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.

‘Sabel in Blue’, (2006)

the personification of human dignity threatened by
circumstance. Sabel captured the mind of the artist as her
makeshift clothing, made out of throwaway plastic sheets,
created different shapes while she moved around,
scavenging for food.
Kidlat Tahimik (1942-present)

A close friend of BenCab and Baguio native is critically acclaimed

director Kidlat Tahimik. Known as the fatherof Philippine
independent film,the government recently conferred upon him the
Orderof National Artist for Film in October 2018.Born Eric de Guia,
Kidlat Tahimik means ‘silent lightning’ in Tagalog. 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.

Japanese Summers of a Filipino Fundoshi (1996)

The documentary was produced for a cultural

festival in Aichi Prefecture in Japan, to which an
invitation was extended to the artist and his
family, as well as other artistic collaborators
 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.

Sagada’, 1952

Sagada has nothing to do with hiking

through mountains or crawling through
caves but rather with amazing art
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.

‘Carcass-Cornucopia’, 1987

Cornucopia is part of the Myths of Creation and

Destruction I inscape. This work shows how from death and
destruction, life can come forth. It depicts the rather
morbid scene of a hooved female carcass hung up and
split open, while from her torn body emerges an infant
 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.

landscape with white moon 1962

Photograph of Roberto Chabet's Landscape with

White Moon, casein on fibreboard painting (undated
c. 1961). The work is from the collection of Ateneo Art
Gallery. The work was donated to Ateneo by Chabet
in 1962.
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. 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.

The Cross at Mt. Samat. Bataan

The Memorial Cross is a towering 555-meter structure above sea level.

It is made up of steel and reinforced concrete and has an elevator and
viewing gallery (arm of the cross). The annual celebration of the “Araw
ng Kagitingan” at Mt. Samat is the most significant event in Bataan.