Abellana martino biography sample

What: Opening of art exhibit entitled Abellana and his Harvest
When: August 21, 4:00 pm (but entire exhibit runs August 21 – October 30, 2009)
Where: Casa Gorordo Museum Gallery

Admission: PhP20 for the Art Exhibit alone, this does not allow entry to the Casa Gorordo Museum itself. But visitors of the Casa (paying for entrance tickets) may view the art exhibition.

The exhibit will showcase works of of Martino Abellana’s former students who are now noted names in Cebuano visual arts:

Gabriel Abellana

Edgar Carabio

Adeste Deguilmo

Sofronio dela Cerna

Jayme Francisco

Fred Galan

Luther Galicano

Bernardo Hermoso

Elena Larrazabal

Palmy Pe-Tudtud

Celso Pepito

Henrietta Piczon

Max Siao

Antonio Vidal

Mar Vidal

Arlene Villaver

Jose Yap, Jr.

Sonia Yrastorza.

Each of the 18 artists will put up two sets of work: one created during their apprenticeship with Abellana; the other a recent work.

The exhibit does not only feature the abovementioned artists’ creations, but it also is an occasion for them to pay homage to their mentor.

The third and last of the series of Abellana retrospective exhibits which began in November last year, the Casa Gorordo Museum aims to give tribute to Cebu’s premier visual artist as well as make the public, particularly the students, be aware of the Cebuanos’ heritage in the arts, via the man who led almost an entire generation of artists.

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Martino Abellana (1914 – 1986), known as “Noy Tinong”, was a renowned Cebuano painter from Carcar. Dubbed “The Dean of Cebuano Painters”, he was born to an artistic family. His main influence was his father, who was a school principal and a sculptor. Martino, along with his four brothers, including renowned sculptor and composer Dr. Ramon Abellana, were exposed to art early, and they helped their father with his sculptures. (Wikipedia)

Source: Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Incorporated.

Related Article: Master Artist Mart

A patient, understanding teacher famed for his savage wit and impatience with mediocrity, the late Martino Abellana (1914-1987) exemplified for many generations of artists in the Visayas, the ideal maestro artist. Called by his admirers as “the Amorsolo of the South,” Abellana came from a highly talented family of artists from the prosperous heritage town of Carcar, an hour’s drive south of Cebu City. His grandfather, Gonzalo, migrated to this seaside town facing southern Bohol in the 1890s from Cebu City and was known as an accomplished designer of embroidered church vestments. Martino Abellana’s father, Teofilo, was the town’s elementary school principal, an accomplished pianist, and is immortalized for his sculptural designs on Carcar’s glorietta pavilion dating from 1927 that still stands today along the highway near the public market. Finally, his brother Ramon, a dentist, was also a sculptor who made the statue of Lapu-Lapu found at the Cebu City Capitol.

This predisposition towards the visual arts would reward Martino Abellana’s considerable talent. The only one in his family whom his father permitted to take Fine Arts, Abellana studied at the UP School of Fine Arts from 1933-1936, where Cesar Legaspi and Carlos “Botong” Francisco were fellow students. His companion in Manila was Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., who would find his fame as the country’s father of printmaking decades later. Falling under the sway of the gentle Fernando Amorsolo as a student, Abellana would accompany him in extended sketching tours in Manila’s suburbs during the Thirties, imbibing the sensibility of plein aire painting that Amorsolo’s circle, which included Toribio Herrera and Dominador Castañeda, exemplified. Another influence was the academician Vicente Rivera y Mir, whom Abellana learned a love of classical art, and who advised him to visit Europe to see great western art, a task that Abell

By Raymund L. Fernandez (Author)

Quick Overview

Kamingaw is a word in Binisaya with a complex of meanings, from loneliness to solitude and, more specifically, longing for someone, some place, or some moment in time. It is not always used to mean wishing for something that is not there yet. But that is particular meaning which guides this book's writing.Kamingaw: An Impressionist Portrait of the Bisaya Painter Martino A. Abellana is the first book to be ever written solely on Abellana, the most recognized and celebrate Cebuano painter. But what was his impact on Cebu? What is importance to history in general and that of fine arts?This book attempts to answer these and many more questions by tracing the life of the artist and exploring his art as it grew and evolved over time. It presents this in narrative form with faithful digital photography of many of his paintings, some of them uncatalogued and hitherto unexposed to the public.Kamingaw also attempts to trace Abellana's pedagogy. Together with the artists of his generation-- Julian Jumalon, Vicente Yap Sr., Carmelo Tamayo, and others who studied in Manila before World War II-- he introduced to Cebu the "Academic Style" of painting.This seminal volume also presents a close personal reading of Abellana both as artist and teacher of many Cebuano painters who were interviewed by the author. This includes as well the observations of a particular person, the writer, who was also his student and an artist as well.This book is not written without his bias, But the bias is with purpose made readable in the text itself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raymund Lozada Fernandez studied under Martino Abe

It was a couple of years ago when we saw this beautiful painting by the entrance of a spa in Cebu. The random lines and vibrant colors used in the painting delineated the figure of an herb doctor. We asked our Cebuano friends to help us find Celso Pepito,the artist who did the painting. However, it was on our last day in Cebu when I was able to talk to artist. From then on, I made a mental note to include his works in our list.

When we found out that Celso Pepito will be in Manila, we immediately went to see him to learn from him about his inspiriations and aspirations in creating his art.    

Traveler on Foot: Can you tell us something about yourself as a child, the time when you were starting to discover about art? What are your common subjects when you were starting to paint?

Celso Pepito: I was born in Cogon -Talisay- Daan Bantayan- Cebu. At the age of six my family has migrated to Mindanao. I grew up in Lambagan -Cabanglasan- Bukidnon – having finished my elementary and secondary in the area.

As a child I am more inclined to do some creative activities- like making my own toys but never have inclination to drawings or paintings though often I made some stick drawings on the walls of our house using a local charcoal. My subject for stick drawings were then more limited to faces and figures. It was however in making wooden cars using the available materials in our barangay that has given me much fascination. Aside from these interests I also noticed myself to be a bit inspired in the sculptural works of our neighbor.

In high school, I got interested in making letterings. Thus in our graduation I was tasked together with my classmate to decorate the stage where the program was being held. And because of it, I was awarded as the “Artist’s Of the Year” of our school. As an awardee, I was encouraged by my class adviser to take a Fine Art course not knowing that indeed Fine Arts is all about paintings. Unfortunately, I learne