Cesar Legaspi, National Artist and One of The Thirteen Moderns

Cesar Legaspi (1917-1994)

Cesar Legaspi, honored as a National Artist in Visual Arts in 1990, is considered the pioneer of neo-realism in the Philippines. Aside from the monochromatic works in his early years, he exploited the full potential of color in his paintings. A proponent of modern art in the country, Legaspi developed cubism in the Philippine context. He was also identified as one of the Thirteen Moderns, a group of modernists led by Victorio C. Edades whose works went against the conservative academic art of that period.

Legaspi was born to Manuel Legaspi and Rosario Torrente on April 2, 1917 in Tondo, Manila. He took up painting for one term at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts before he decided to take commercial art courses instead. There he received medals for perspective and illustration projects. He earned his Certificate of Proficiency in 1936, after which he continued his education in art under Pablo Amorsolo. He went to Madrid in 1953 and pursued Art Studies under a scholarship at the Cultura Hispanic until 1954. He also went to Paris to study at the Academie Ranson for one month under Henri Goetz.

Back in the Philippines, he had his first one-man show at the Luz Gallery in 1963. While this led to an active phase with his major pieces, he also worked as a magazine illustrator and artistic director at an advertising agency. He finally left the agency in 1968 to focus on his painting.

During his career as an artist, he had the opportunity to be part of several exhibits abroad, including the First Plastic Arts Conference in Rome in 1953, the Sao Paolo Biennial in Graphic Arts in 1967 and 1969, and the Wraxall Gallery in London with Filipino artists Malang and Bencab in 1982. Apart from this, he holds the record of five retrospective exhibitions at different venues: the Museum of Philippine Art in 1978, the National Museum and the Metropolitan Museum in 1988, and the Luz Gallery and the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1990. He was an active member of the Art Association of the Philippines and was part of the Neo-Realists. He was also the head of the Saturday Group artists from 1978 until his death on April 7, 1994.

Legaspi’s major works include:

• 1945 – Man and Woman br> • 1947 – Gadgets

Achievements:

• 1944 – 4th Prize, Art Association of the Philippines, for Gadgets
• 1948 – 1st Prize, Art Association of the Philippines, for Sick Child
• 1949 – 4th Prize, Art Association of the Philippines, for Planters
• 1949 – 1st Prize, Manila Club Art Exhibition, for Stairway to Heaven
• 1950 – Honorable Mention in the Manila Grand Opera House Exhibition, for Symphony
• 1951 – 3rd Prize, Art Association of the Philippines, for Ritual
• 1972 – Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, from the City of Manila
• 1981 – Critics’ Choice Award for Five Outstanding Living Artists
• 1990 – Gawad CCP para sa Sining Award, from the Cultural Center of the Philippines

Kulay-Diwa  is a venue for Philippines and Southeast Asian Contemporary Art. Inaugurated on February 7, 1987, Kulay-Diwa, is strategically located within a cluster of communities South of Manila.  It has five independent exhibition areas able to accommodate large-scale works and a garden ideal for programs, performances and sculpture installations.  The goals of the gallery are to discover and promote the works of young, talented but deserving Filipino Artists and to foster cultural interaction and exchanges with the local regions and other countries.

Kulay (Colour)

Diwa  (Spirit, Thought)

Please contact us if you are interested to see his other works

Cesar Legaspi, "The Year That Was", Oil on Canvas, 33 x 26 inches, 1987 

Cesar Legaspi, "Phantasm" Oil, 20 x 25 cms., 1978

Cesar Legaspi, "Untitled" oil 20 x 25 cms., 1979

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