Ang Kiukok

Ang Kiukok was a Filipino painter who attained prominence for his distinct portrayal of cubist, surrealist and expressionist concepts. He was named a National Artist for Visual Arts in 2001 for his figurative expressionist style. Ang Kiukok was known for his non-mainstream portrayals of the mother and child and the crucifixion of Christ.

He was one of the most dynamic figures in the Philippine art scene from the 60s until his death in 2005.

Ang Kiukok was born in Davao City on 1 March 1931 to Chinese parents, Vicente Ang and Chin Lim. He had four children with his wife, Mary de Jesus.

Ang's father wanted to name his son Hua Shing, meaning "Chinese-born", but decided to look for a new name when he found out that his cousin's son had been given the same name. Anxious about China's fate against the Manchurians who were invading the land, his father named him Kiukok, meaning "Save the Country".

Ang's artistry began at an early age. Even before he reached his teen years, he began drawing people using styles that were commonly seen in magazines and comics.

From 1952 to 1954, he took up Art Studies courses at the University of Santo Tomas. He studied under mentors like Vicente Manansala, Victorio Edades, Diosdado Lorenzo, Jose Garcia Llamas, Galo Ocampo and Virginia Ty.

He taught at an overseas Chinese art school for five years despite leaving school a year short of finishing his degree.

Ang was among the many Filipino artists who have managed to showcase their talent in different countries all over the world. Many of his works were exhibited in various displays held in Saigon, Tokyo, Taipeo, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

The works that he produced during the Martial Law Period represented nationalist images and various sociological concepts.

source: wikipilipinas

Ben "BenCab" Cabrera

Benedicto Reyes Cabrera [born April 10, 1942], better known as "BenCab", is a Filipino painter and was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts [Painting] in 2006. He has been noted as "arguably the best-selling painter of his generation of Filipino artists.

BenCab was born to Democrito Cabrera and Isabel Reyes in Malabon, Philippines on April 10, 1942. He was the youngest of nine children. BenCab's first exposure and discovery of the arts happened through his elder Brother Salvador, who was already an established artist during Bencab's childhood.

He went on to study at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he explored different art visual forms - photography, draftsmanship, printmaking - while honing his chosen craft as a painter. He received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1963.

BenCab met British writer Caroline Kennedy in 1966, and eventually married her in 1969. The couple decided to stay in London, where their three children were eventually born. The eldest, Elisar, was born in 1971 and is now a filmmaker based in London; Mayumi was born in 1973 and is now a model and actress living in Los Angeles; the youngest, Jasmine was born in 1977 and is now a London-based fashion stylist.

Bencab's first years as a painter in London "were not particularly easy", but his talents were immediately recognized. Over the next four decades, he established for himself a name of international importance, holding exhibitions from London to New York to Macau, and winning several major art awards in a career spanning four decades.

When BenCab returned to the Philippines in 1972, he was hailed as a Filipino pioneer of the arts and a significant influence among his peers. However, he returned to London once more in 1974, partly to get away from the tightening grip of Martial Law, which Ferdinand Marcos had declared in 1972. That event is said to have "marked the beginning of [BenCab]'s passionate involvement with social commentary and the topics of repression and freedom.

In 1985, however, BenCab's 13-year relationship with Kennedy ended in a painful divorce, and he eventually decided to come home to the Philippines.

BenCab eventually returned to the Philippines, and settled in the City of Baguio in Northern Luzon, eventually putting up a studio and a secluded little farm on Asin road, in the nearby town of Tuba, Benguet. He and a small group of fellow artists - visual artist Santi Bose, filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, and sculptor Ben Hur Villanueva, among others, established the Baguio Arts Guild [BAG]. It was during this period in his career that BenCab began to more deeply explore the use handmade paper as a medium on which to work.

When the 1990 Luzon earthquake struck, BenCab and the BAG helped out by instituting programs such as the ArtAid workshop for traumatized children, and a fund-raising art auction they titled "Artquake." Bencab was elected president of the guild the following year.

Later in the 1990s, BenCab's input was a critical element in the creation of Tam-awan Village, "a refuge for local artists who desire a nurturing environment in which to develop their talents, and a community for all those who wish to take part in the harmonious fusion of art, culture, environment, and history.

BenCab also exhibited considerably during the last decade of the Millennium, also reaping many accolades. Among the most prominent of the many awards received by BenCab during this period was the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining [Cultural Center of the Philippines Award for the Arts] in 1992.

In 2006, the Philippine Government conferred upon him the Order of National Artist for Visual Arts.

source: wikipedia

Carlos "Botong" Francisco

Carlos V. Francisco was one of the greatest Filipino visual artists and muralists. He was posthumously recognized as a Philippine National Artist by the government in 1973. He was affectionately called "Botong" by his family and friends.

Francisco was born on November 4, 1914 in Angono, Rizal. His parents were Felipe Francisco and Maria Villaluz. His hometown featured prominently in his paintings and murals, and he commemorated many rural scenes and town folk in his composition.

Botong came from very humble beginnings. In the early years he struggled even to acquire canvases to paint on. Together with Galo Ocampo and Victorio C. Edades, he formed the first group of modernists in Philippine art called "The Triumvirate", which struggled to break free from the cliched traditionalism of realist art pioneered by Fernando Amorsolo.

He tried his hand at illustrating everything, even the lowly Pinoy komiks, illustrating the Tagalog classic Siete Infantes de Lara in 1948.

Francisco is known for his masterful landmark murals that were specially commissioned by Malacañang Palace, Manila City Hall, Philippine General Hospital, and Fort Santiago. In them he exhibited bold composition and daring juxtaposition of elements that showcased his mastery of anatomy and lush tropical color.

His masterpieces include "Fiesta" [mural] at Malacañang and its smaller study [Paulino and Hetty Que collection], "Code of Kalantiao" [private collection], "Blood Compact," "First Mass at Limasawa," "The Martyrdom of Rizal," "Magpupukot, Bayanihan sa Bukid," "Stations of the Cross" [Far Eastern University], "Sandugo," "The Invasion of Limahong," "Serenade," and "Muslim Betrothal."

Botong is also known for discovering the Angono Petroglyphs, which are considered the oldest prehistoric artwork. This paleolithic art consists of 127 human and animal figures that are estimated to date back to 3000 BC. Presidential Decree 260 was issued in 1996 and declared the petroglyphs a national cultural treasure. The National Museum established a museum on its site.

He was posthumously conferred the title National Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts in 1973. He died on March 31, 1969, leaving a rich legacy and a new generation of followers. On November 4, 1975, the town of Angono, Rizal, held an exhibit titled "Gunita Kay Botong." The event became an annual institution and was widely followed to the point that Angono became the unofficial art capital of the Philippines.

source: wikipilipinas

Vicente Manansala

Vicente Silva Manansala [January 22, 1910 - August 22, 1981] was a Philippine cubist painter and illustrator.

Manansala was born in Macabebe, Pampanga. From 1926 to 1930, he studied at the U.P. School of Fine Arts. In 1949, Manansala received a six-month grant by UNESCO to study at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Banff and Montreal, Canada. In 1950, he received a nine-month scholarship to study at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris by the French government.

Manansala's canvases were described as masterpieces that brought the cultures of the barrio and the city together. His Madonna of the Slums is a portrayal of a mother and child from the countryside who became urban shanty residents once in the city. In his Jeepneys, Manansala combined the elements of provincial folk culture with the congestion issues of the city.

Manansala developed transparent cubism, wherein the "delicate tones, shapes, and patterns of figure and environment are masterfully superimposed". A fine example of Manansala using this "transparent and translucent" technique is his composition, Kalabaw [Carabao].

Vicente Manansala, a National Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts, was a direct influence to his fellow Filipino neo-realists: Malang, Angelito Antonio, Norma Belleza and Baldemor. The Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Lopez Memorial Museum [Manila], the Philippine Center [New York City] and the Singapore Art Museum are among the public collections holding work by Vicente Manansala.

source: wikipedia

Jose Joya

Jose Tanig Joya [1931-1995] was a pioneering Filipino abstract artist and a 2003 National Artist of the Philippines awardee [posthumous].

Joya was a mixed media artist, printmaker, multimedia artist, and a former dean of the University of the Philippines' College of Fine Arts. He pioneered abstract expressionism in the Philippines with paintings characterized by the vigorous and spontaneous strokes of action and gestural painting. He typically made use of impasto, sweeping brushstrokes and rice paper collage in his powerful and vibrant works.

The color schemes of his works were strongly influenced by the tropical landscapes of the Philippine Islands. Among his masterpieces are the Nanking [a collage rendered with Asian calligraphy and forms and patterns resembling rice paddies], the Granadean Arabesque [his large landmark work, 1958], Space Transfiguration, Hills of Nikko, Dimension of Fear, Torogan, Cityscape. He represented the Philippines in the 1964 Venice Biennial, a recognition which showed the high level of acceptance of Philippine modern art had by then attained.

Joya influenced younger artists in making use of multimedia in art. He also worked on ceramics and in printmaking and other graphic arts. His works, especially his mixed-media abstracts, continue to be known for their distinctive style and consistent excellence.

source: wikipilipinas

joey de leon

José María Ramos de León, better known as Joey de Leon [born October 14, 1946] is a Filipino comedian/TV host. He hosts the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga!. He is a member of the comedy trio Tito, Vic and Joey that has made several comedy movies and TV shows. As a songwriter, de Leon has penned songs including "Ipagpatawad Mo" [Forgive Me], "Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko" [Sing and I Will Dance], "Boyfriend kong Baduy" [My Geeky Boyfriend], "Iskul Bukol" [School Lump].

De Leon was the second child of Jose Seoane de Leon [1918–2008], of Filipino-Spanish descent, and Emma Manahan Ramos. His paternal grandfather was the first mayor of Malolos, Bulacan. His parents divorced at a young age. At the age of three, his father moved to Madrid, Spain.

Prior to being an entertainer, de Leon earned his architecture degree from the National University in Manila. He was also a disc jockey for 12 radio stations when he was starting out.

Joey de Leon has five children. With first wife actress Daria Ramirez, he has two children, Joseph Joachim (Keempee) and Jacinda Myrtle. He married actress Eileen Macapagal. Their union produced three children, Jocas Eightria, Jako and Jio. De Leon also has three grandchildren from eldest daughter Cheenee and one granddaughter from Keempee.

He started out his showbiz career in the 1960s as a radio disc jockey. His first big break on TV was Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation's gag show OK Lang.

In 1975, de Leon became a co-host of GMA Network's early afternoon variety show Discorama hosted by Bobby Ledesma. He invited his former co-stars at OK Lang, brothers Tito, Vic and Val Sotto, to join him at Discorama. Only Tito and Vic accepted Joey's invitation. The newly-formed trio started to do comedy newscast segments interspersed with Top 40 hit-song parodies. The trio was soon invited to become part of the show Student Canteen as they released 12 albums based on their Discorama Tough Hits segment.

Although Tito, Vic and Joey started their trio via Discorama and Student Canteen, it was the sitcom Iskul Bukol that gave them nationwide fame as comedians. Soon after, other TV and movie producers came knocking on the trio's door. In 1979, Tito, Vic and Joey started hosting for the noontime show Eat Bulaga! which was pitted against the more established Student Canteen hosted by their former colleague [and now competitor] Bobby Ledesma. Not long after, Eat Bulaga! toppled Student Canteen from the ratings.

Although de Leon continued to do movies alongside his showbiz team mates Tito and Vic, he started doing solo performances for other TV shows. He top billed Joey and Son in the '80s, a sitcom on RPN where he played father. He was also one of the gag performers on TODAS where his co-stars included Jimmy Santos and Val Sotto. Other TV shows included Apple Pie, Patis, Atbp., The Sharon Cuneta Show, and Let's Go Crazy. He was launched by Viva Films as a solo comedian in She-Man: Mistress of the Universe. He also tried his hand at directing movies like Romeo Loves Juliet and Small, Medium, Large.

jim paredes

"artist-I sing, write, teach, photograph, and live my art! Most of all, I AM!"

Jaime Ramon "Jim" Paredes [born 31 August 1951] is a Filipino musician, producer, educator, writer, television personality, workshop facilitator, and activist best known for being one-third of the APO Hiking Society, along with Danny Javier and Boboy Garovillo.

Paredes' most prominent solo work is 1986' "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo", which has come to be known as the anthem of the bloodless 1986 People Power Revolution. It was recorded by 15 Filipino artists in April of that year, and its English version "A New and Better Way" was launched in Australia a few months later. In recognition of its significance, the lyrics of the song are embedded on a wall of the Our Lady of Edsa Shrine, which commemorates the 1986 revolution.

Sebastian Krüger paints Michael Jackson

Cesar Legaspi

 

Cesar Legaspi on April 2, 1917 in Tondo, Manila [1917–1994] is a Filipino National Artist awardee in painting. He was also an art director prior to going full-time in his visual art practice in the 1960s. His early [1940s-1960s] works, alongside those of peer, Hernando Ocampo are described as depictions of anguish and dehumanization of beggars and laborers in the city. These include Man and Woman [alternatively known as Beggars] and Gadgets'. Primarily because of this early period, critics have further cited Legaspi's having "reconstituted" in his paintings "cubism's unfeeling, geometric ordering of figures into a social expressionism rendered by interacting forms filled with rhythmic movement".
[source: wikipedia]

Si Cesar Torrente Legaspi [1917-1994], ay pinarangalan bilang isang Pambansang Alagad ng Sining noong 1990, at siyang itinuturing na nagpasimula ng neo-realism sa Pilipinas at nagpaunlad ng cubism sa bansa.

Bilang isa sa Thirteen Moderns at kabilang sa mga naunang Neo-Realist, nagkaroon ng malakas na impluwensiya sa paglago ng cubism sa Pilipinas si Legaspi. Ang mga nilikha niyang social-realist na nagpapakita ng mga pulubi sa siyudad at mga manggagawa ay maituturing na expressionist dahil sa paggamit niya ng gula-gulanit na porma. Ang kanyang mga likha ay hindi lang ilan sa mga naunang gawa na moderno; nakatulong ang mga ito na matanggap ang modernong arte sa Pilipinas.

Siya rin ay naging ilustrador sa magasin at naging artistic director sa ilang ahensiya habang siya ay gumuguhit ng kanyang mga obra.
[source: wikipilipinas]

ion luca caragiale

here's an artwork made through the invitation of a fellow artist from Romania, Nicolae Ionita. this is my contribution:)

Ion Luca Caragiale [Romanian pronunciation: [iˈon ˈluka karaˈd͡ʒjale]; commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale; February 13 [O.S. February 1, 1852 – July 9, 1912] was a Wallachian-born Romanian playwright, short story writer, poet, theater manager, political commentator and journalist. Leaving behind an important cultural legacy, he is considered one of the greatest playwrights in Romanian language and literature, as well as one of its most important writers and a leading representative of local humor. Alongside Mihai Eminescu, Ioan Slavici and Ion Creangă, he is seen as one of the main representatives of Junimea, an influential literary society with which he nonetheless parted during the second half of his life. His work, spanning four decades, covers the ground between Neoclassicism, Realism, and Naturalism, building on an original synthesis of foreign and local influences.

source: wikipedia

the artwork was posted here:
http://www.personality.com.ro/caragiale_6.htm
http://www.personality.com.ro/philippine.htm

Roberto Bernardi

Roberto Bernardi was borm in Todi on the 18th of May 1974.

He started to paint at a very young age and his first works in oils date back to the first half of the eighties. He dedicated his studies to the learning of pictorial techniques which would have a significant influence on his artistic formation.

The work of Bernardi is super-realism. The realistic elements of the composition are filtered through a photographic image resulting in a highly technological reproduction. This image is then successfully translated, using the traditional techniques of oil painting on canvas, to a perfect image of reality. Despite adopting the aid of advanced photo technology, his personal translation of his subjects follows a classical line, such as the traditional priming of the canvas, as practised by the painters of the 16th and 17th centuries, combined with the perfection of oil painting technique.

Check out Roberto Bernardi's website.

Noel Cruz

Noel Cruz is one of the most versatile and distinguished repaint artists in the doll community. He is most recognized for his character and celebrity based dolls due to their uncanny resemblance to the people they portray. His dolls are derived from several models like Gene, Tyler, Sydney, etc, by various dollmakers such as Robert Tonner and Franklin Mint. His repaints as well as his portraits are done with intricate detail to the point of being naturally lifelike in essence. Highly regarded among collectors and artists alike, Noel attempts to raise the bar and bring a fresh take to the common mass produced doll with every face he paints. read more...

steve carell

Steven John "Steve" Carell [pronounced /kəˈrɛl/; born August 16, 1962] is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, director and writer. Carell became famous for his roles in the television series The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Office. He has also starred in several Hollywood films including Anchorman, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine, Evan Almighty, Dan in Real Life, Get Smart, Date Night and Dinner for Schmucks; and voiced characters in the animated films Over the Hedge, Horton Hears a Who!, and Despicable Me. Carell was nominated as "America's funniest man" in Life magazine. He received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Comedy Series for his lead role of Michael Scott for the American television series The Office during 2006.

source: wikipedia

shaquille o'neal

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal [pronounced /ʃəˈkiːl/ shə-KEEL; born March 6, 1972], nicknamed "Shaq" [/ˈʃæk/ SHAK], is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics. Standing 7 ft 1 in [2.16 m] tall and weighing 325 pounds [147 kg], he is one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA. Throughout his 18-year career, O'Neal has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. After the retirement of Lindsey Hunter on March 5, 2010, O'Neal became the oldest active player in the NBA.

Following a standout career at Louisiana State University, O'Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. He quickly became one of the top centers in the league, winning Rookie of the year in 1992–93 and later leading his team to the 1995 NBA Finals. After four years with the Magic, O'Neal signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won three consecutive championships, playing alongside Kobe Bryant, in 2000, 2001, and 2002. O'Neal's relationship with Bryant eventually declined into a feud, leading to O'Neal's trade to the Miami Heat in 2004. He won his fourth NBA championship in 2006, but was traded midway through the season a year and a half later to the Phoenix Suns. After a season-and-a-half with the Suns, O'Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played alongside LeBron James in the 2009–10 season.

O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999–00 MVP award, the 1992–93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. He ranks 5th all-time in points scored, 6th in field goals, 12th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks.

In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum. He has also appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows, Shaq's Big Challenge and Shaq Vs.

source: wikipedia

brad pitt portrait

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt [born December 18, 1963] is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one. He has been described as one of the world's most attractive men, a label for which he has received substantial media attention.

Pitt began his acting career with television guest appearances, including a role on the CBS prime-time soap opera Dallas in 1987. He later gained recognition as the cowboy hitchhiker who seduces Geena Davis's character in the 1991 road movie Thelma & Louise. Pitt's first leading roles in big-budget productions came with A River Runs Through It [1992] and Interview with the Vampire [1994]. He was cast opposite Anthony Hopkins in the 1994 drama Legends of the Fall, which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination. In 1995 he gave critically acclaimed performances in the crime thriller Seven and the science fiction film 12 Monkeys, the latter securing him a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. Four years later, in 1999, Pitt starred in the cult hit Fight Club. He then starred in the major international hit as Rusty Ryan in Ocean's Eleven [2001] and its sequels, Ocean's Twelve [2004] and Ocean's Thirteen [2007]. His greatest commercial successes have been Troy [2004] and Mr. & Mrs. Smith [2005]. Pitt received his second Academy Award nomination for his title role performance in the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Following a high-profile relationship with actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Pitt was married to actress Jennifer Aniston for five years. Pitt currently lives with actress Angelina Jolie in a relationship that has generated wide publicity.He and Jolie have six children—Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne. Since beginning his relationship with Jolie, he has become increasingly involved in social issues both in the United States and internationally. Pitt owns a production company named Plan B Entertainment, whose productions include the 2007 Academy Award winning Best Picture, The Departed.

source: wikipedia

seanmaximus is 8

happy 8th birthday to seanmaximus bautista:))

We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.  [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]