Federico Alcuaz

(1932-2011)

National Artist,  2009

(Painting, Sculpture, Mixed Media)

Born 1932 in Manila.  UP Fine Arts and Academia de San Fernando in Madrid.  International Shows at the Madrid Museum of Contemporary Art, Galeria Layetanas, Galeria Duntel, Protesen Prague, Winchell and Vermeer in NY, Grayson in Chicago, Philips Cultural Center in Holland - among others. 
European Awards (among others) Pintura Saint Pol del Mar, Prix Vincell, Montcada, Order of the French Genius. 
Several awards in RP, notably the Republic Cultural Heritage Award. 
RP shows at the CCP, Malacanang under Imelda Marcos’ patronage and in most of the prestigious Manila Galleries. 
Is the Philippines’ most internationally awarded artist.  
The price paid for an Alcuaz  1966 oil on canvas painting at the 1999 Christie's autumn auction was remarkable for a Filipino artist.   Hailed as a world-class Filipino artist after his 1966 oil painting was successfully sold at the Autumn 1999 Christie’s auction.

The young Alcuaz finished a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines and, resulting from that, received a grant at the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. Among his professors at the University of the Philippines were National Artist Fernando Amorsolo (painting) and National Artist Guillermo Tolentino (sculpture) as well as other pillars of Philippine art such as Toribio Herrera, Ireneo Miranda and Constancio Bernardo. 

Among Alcuaz’s early awards for his works are, locally, first prize at the 1953 University of the Philippines Art Competition, first prize at the 1954 Annual Shell Art Competition, and second place at the U.P. Art Competition, also in 1954. In Spain, first prize at the Premio Moncada in 1957 and the 1958 Prix Francisco Goya in Bracelona, first prize at the Pintura Saint Pol del Mar in 1961, and second prize at the Premio Vancell at the Fourth Biennial of Tarrasa in Barcelona in 1964. 

He was awarded the Diploma of Honor at the International Exhibition of Art Libre in Paris in 1961, the Decoration of Arts, Letters and Sciences award from the French government 1964, and the Order of French Genius in 1964. He received an Araw ang Maynila award in 1966 and Outstanding Maynilan award in 2001. In 2006, he was acknowledged by the Philippine government with the Presidential Medal of Merit award and the Republic Cultural Heritage award for his outstanding accomplishments in the visual arts in 1965. 

Maestro Aguilar Alcuaz has held exhibits at leading galleries Spain, Portugal, Singapore, Japan, the Netherlands, United States, Germany and Poland. His works are included in the collection of some 20 museums and major cultural institutions in the world today including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid, the Gulvenkian Foundation Museum of London, the Museum of Modern Art of Warsaw, the Museum of Modern Art of Krakow, the Philipps Cultural Museum of the Netherlands, the Galeria Layetana, Galeria Duntel, Protesen in Prague, the Winchell and Vermeer in New York, and Grayson in Chicago.

In the Philippines, he has held shows at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Malacanang Palace, the new Ayala Museum, as well as in most of the prestigious Manila galleries. He also has major works within the collections of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) museum. 

Maestro Aguilar Alcuaz was hailed here again as a true world-class Filipino artist after a 1966 oil painting was successfully sold at the Autumn 1999 Christie’s auction. Among the top 20 results for the 2007 auctions for Federico Aguilar Alcuaz’s works were a 1982 Tres Marias series and a 1975 Still Life with Lemon.

In his 55-year art career, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz has become the Philippines’ most internationally awarded and acclaimed artist. Nevertheless he has remained a true Manileño and Filipino which can be seen by the many benefactions he did for many not only Maynilan institutions and organizations.







Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Philippine Contemporary Art is a privately owned venue for artistic expression. It is strategically located within a cluster of progressive communities South of Manila. It has an independent exhibition area able to accommodate large-scale works, and a spacious garden ideal for outdoor programs, performances and sculpture installations.

Goals of Kulay-Diwa

To discover and promote the works of talented, young and deserving Filipino Artist;

To serve as a cultural outpost and make the arts more accessible to the fast-growing communities South of Manila; and

To foster cultural interaction and exchanges with the local regions and other countries.

Kulay(Color)

Diwa(Spirit, Thought)



The image below is an example of the artist’s work and is not necessarily available.

Untitled, Oil on Canvas, 20x27 inches, 50x68 cm., 1986

Note: This painting was stolen. Any information that will lead to its retrieval will be highly appreciated.

 Available artwork:

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