The family of National Artist for Visual Arts Cesar Legaspi celebrates his centennial year with a series of exhibitions until December
The first of four exhibitions to commemorate the National Artist Cesar Legaspi’s centenary opened last April at the Main Gallery of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines. Titled “Lying in State,” this exhibition displays Legaspi’s artworks from the late 1960s to mid-1980s. It was followed by Ayala Museum's "The Brave Modern".
Born in April 2, 1917, Legaspi is remembered for his singular achievement of refining cubism in the Philippine context. Legaspi belonged to the so-called “Thirteen Moderns” of the pre-WWII era and later, the “Neo-realists” with Arturo Luz, Vicente Manasala, Jose Joya, and Hernando Ocampo.
Legaspi's distinctive style and daring themes contributed significantly to the advent and eventual acceptance of modern art in the Philippines. Legaspi made use of the geometric fragmentation technique, weaving social comment and juxtaposing the mythical and modern into his overlapping, interacting forms with disturbing power and intensity. His collaborative works with Ocampo, who was posthumously awarded the National Artist distinction for visual arts on top of his remarkable works in fiction and plays, depict anguish and dehumanisation of beggars and labourers in the city.
