NATIONAL ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

• By its definition, a National Artist is a Filipino who has made a significant contribution to the development of Philippine arts in the fields
of Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film and Architecture.
• A Filipino individual who should have been awarded the highest national recognition for the arts namely, National Artist Award. In Filipino
context, it is also known as the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining.
• Dr. Nicanor Tiongson said that, there is an important role played by contemporary artists in making art that will contribute to social
change by informing the viewers and audiences about the nature and causes of the adversities they face as Filipinos. It was said that
with this enlightenment, it gives that artists responsibility in their craft. Dr. Tiongson also challenges the artist to create art that has a
social and political relevance. This kind of art will contribute to an awareness of present realities and conditions of society.
THE ORDER OF NATIONAL ARTIST
The Order of the National Artists Award (Orden ng Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining) is the highest national recognition given
to Filipino individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts. The order is concurrent administered
by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the President of
the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.
Under the Proclamation No.1001 dated April 27, 1972 the Order of the National Artist Award (Orden ng Gawad Pambansang Alagad
ng Sining was established. It gives an appropriate recognition and prestige to Filipinos who have acclaimed themselves and made a
remarkable contribution to Philippine arts. The first award was given to Fernando Amorsolo. On May 15, 1973 under the Proclamation No.
1144, CCP Board of Trustees was named as the National Artist Awards Committee. The Presidential Decree No.28 that was issued on
June 7, 1973 reiterated the mandate of CCP to administer the National Awards as well as the privileges and honors to National Artist.
The Order of National Artists aims to recognize:
1. The Filipino artists who have made significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the country.
2. The Filipino artistic accomplishment at its highest level and to promote creative expression as significant to the development of a
national cultural identity.
3. The Filipino artists who have dedicated their lives to their works to forge new paths and directions for future generations of Filipino
artists.
The following are the SEVEN CATEGORIES under which National Artists can be recognized:
1. Literature – poetry, fiction, essay, playwriting, journalism and/or literary criticism;
2. Film and Broadcasting / Broadcast Arts – direction, writing, production design, cinematography, editing, camera work, and/or
performance; and
3. Architecture, Design and Allied Arts– architecture design, interior design, industrial arts design, landscape architecture and
fashion design.
4. Music - singing, composition, direction, and/or performance;
5. Dance - choreography, direction and/or performance;
6. Theater – direction, performance and/or production design;
7. Visual Arts – painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation art, mixed media works, illustration, graphic arts,
performance art and/or imaging;

Qualifications for the National Artist Award

The qualifications for a Filipino to be nominated and selected are rigorous. Below are the qualifications for the National Artist Award.
1. Living artists who are natural-born Filipino citizens.
2. The content and form of their work have procured in building a Filipino sense of nationhood.
3. An artist who have developed a mode of creative expression or style and living a legend on succeeding generations of artists.
4. An artist who manifest excellence in the practice of their art form
5. The artwork made has attained an international and national recognition.
Insignia of the Order of the National Artists
The insignia of the Order of the National Artists is formed from a Grand Collar featuring circular
links depicting the arts and an eight-pointed sunburst suspended from a sampaguita wreath in green and
white enamel. The center of the badge is divided into three equal portions, in red, white and blue
representing the Philippine Flag with three stylized letter K’s that stands for the CCP’s motto “ Katotohanan,
Kabutihan at Kagandahan “ ( The true, the good and the beautiful ). The Grand Collar is made from silver
gilt bronze.

National Artists of the Philippines

The following are the National Artists of the Philippines grouped according to their categories and arranged to the chronology of
National Artist Award:

ARCHITECTURE DANCE FILM THEATER

1973 Juan Nakpil 1973 Francisca Reyes Aquino 1982 Gerardo de Leon 1987 Honorata " Atang" de la Rama
1976 Pablo Antonio 1976 Leonor Orosa-Goquingco 1997 Lino Brocka 1997 Levi Celerio
1990 Leondro V. Locsin 1988 Lucrecia Reyes Urtula 2001 Ishmael Bernal 1997 Wlfrido Ma. Guerero
2006 Ramon Valera 2006 Ramon Obusan 2003 Eddie S. Romero 1997 Rolando S. Tinio
2014 Jose Maria Zaragoza 2009 Manuel Conde 1999 Daisy Avellana
2006 I.P Santos 2001 Severino Montano

MUSIC VISUAL ARTS LITERATURE

1973 Antonio J. Molina 1972 Fernando C. Amorsolo 1973 Amado V. Hernadez

1976 Jovita Fuentes 1973 Carlos " Botong" V. Francisco 1973 Jose Garcia Villa
1988 Antonio R. Buenaventura 1973 Guillermo E. Tolentino 1976 Nick Joaquin
1989 Lucrecia R. Kasilag 1976 Victorio C. Edades 1982 Calos P. Romulo
1991 Lucio D. San Pedro 1976 Napoleon V. Abueva 1990 Francisco Arcellana
1997 Felipe Padilla de Leon 1981 Vicente Manansala 1997 N.V. M Gonzales
1997 Jose Maceda 1990 Cesar Legaspi 1997 Carlos Quirino
1997 Levi Celerio 1991 Hernando R. Ocampo 1999 Edith L. Tiempo
1999 Ernani Joson Cuenco 1997 Arturo R. Luz 2001 F. Sionil Jose
1999 Andrea O. Veneracion 1999 J. Elizalde Navarro 2003 Virgilio S. Almario
2014 Francisco Feliciano 2001 Ang Kiukok 2006 Bienvenido Lumbera
2014 Ramon Santos 2003 Jose T. Joya 2009 Lazaro Francisco
2006 Abdulmari Asia Imao 2014 Cirilo F. Bautista
2006 Bencab
2009 Federico Aguillar Alcuaz
2014 Francisco Coching

Some works of Filipino National Artist

The works of National Artist can be found in different University Campuses. One example is the University of the Philippines in
Diliman, Quezon City. The known school symbol is based on Oblation made by the sculptor Guillermo Tolentino. This work of art depicts a
male nude with arms outstretched that represents a gesture of sacrifice and freedom. Guillermo Tolentino is a pioneer of academic
tradition in sculpture like Fernando Amorsolo in Painting. Fernando Amorsolo is known for its romantic paintings of bucolic landscapes and
idealized portraits of well-known individuals from the Commonwealth Period and the Second World War. His works can be seen also at the
National Museum. Awarded in 1976, Napoleon Abueva had contributed to the University’s Visual Arts Heritage.
In the Virata School of Business, Jose Tanig Joya’s mural can be seen entitled Barter of Panay (1978). This work of art is
rendered in the Abstract expressionist style and it consists of soft, overlapping planes of black, white, orange, brown and golden yellow.
The Church of the Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman which was inaugurated in 1955 was credited to be the First Catholic Church in the country
that were able to employ a circular architecture with a fine thin shell dome. Intricate mathematical computations with the increasing
popularity of concrete that serve as the building material enabled the smooth rounded church construction. The said church is recognized
as a National Historical Landmark as well as a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute.
Jose Maceda’s Pagsamba involved a hundred mixed voices and indigenous musical instruments like bamboo buzzers, clappers
and the like. UP center for Ethnomusicology was also founded by him where he donated his valuable collections of sound recordings, field
notes and the like in Ethnomusicology in the Philippines and South East Asia. In line with this, he was recognized by the UNESCO Memory
of the World.
 ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART

Elements and principles of art are being introduced in Lesson 1: Arts in the Philippines. In lesson 1, the elements and principles of
art is introduced to describe the various contemporary art forms from the regions of the Philippines generally from Luzon, Visayas and
Mindanao. Now, let’s discuss this elements and principles of art further.

Elements of Art
1. Line - An element of art that is used to define shape, contours, and outlines, also to suggest mass and volume. It may be a
continuous mark made on a surface with a pointed tool or implied by the edges of shapes and forms. Line may come in two
characteristics: form – curved, dotted, or broken lines; and direction – vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines. Different
characteristics of lines may convey different meanings:

a. Horizontal Line - creates an impression of serenity and perfect stability.

b. Vertical Line - creates an impression of strength and perfect stability.
c. Diagonal Line - creates an impression of action.
d. Curved Line - creates an impression of gradual change of direction.
e. Circular Line - creates an impression of abrupt change of direction.

Moreover, lines can be classified into different types:

a. Outlines - are made by the edge of an object or its silhouette.
b. Contour Lines - describe the shape of an object and the interior detail.
c. Expressive Lines - catch the movement and gestures of an active figure.
d. Sketch Lines - capture the appearance of an object or impression of a place.
e. Calligraphic Lines - are the elegant handwriting or lettering done by hand.
f. Implied Lines - are lines that are not actually drawn but created by a group of objects seen from a distance.

Sketch Lines

Calligraphic Lines

Implied Lines

2. Shape - is an area that is enclosed by a line or lines. Shapes are two dimensional figures with height and width. There are
different kinds of shapes and these are geometric shapes, organic shapes, positive shapes, negative shapes, static shapes,
and dynamic shapes.

a. Geometric Shapes are circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, and other geometric shapes.
b. Organic Shapes are shapes found in nature and are free flowing, informal and irregular
(abstract shapes).
c. Positive Shapes are the solid forms in a design.
d. Negative Shapes are the space around the positive shape.
e. Static Shapes are shapes that appears stable and resting.
f. Dynamic Shapes are shapes that appears moving and active.
3. Colors - are the way we see light reflected from a surface or refracted through a prism. Colors we see in nature are reflections
of light on the surfaces around us. We can classify colors into primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors, analogous
colors, complementary colors, monochromatic colors, warm colors, and cool colors.

a. Primary colors are red, blue, and yellow.

b. Secondary colors are the resulting colors when the two of the primary colors are mix. The secondary colors are
purple, green, and orange.
c. Tertiary colors are the resulting colors when two of the primary and/or secondary colors are mix. The tertiary colors
are amber, vermilion, magenta, violet, teal, and chartreuse.
d. Analogous Colors are colors that lie nest to each other based on the color wheel. Example of analogous colors are
yellow, orange, and red.
e. Complementary colors are colors that are opposite to each other based on the color wheel. Examples of
complementary colors are red and green, blue and orange, and purple and yellow.
f. Monochromatic Colors are several values of one color.
g. Warm colors are colors that give the feeling of warmth. The warm colors are yellow, amber, orange, vermilion, red,
and magenta.
h. Cool colors are colors that give the feeling of coolness. The cool colors are purple, violet, blue, teal, green, and
chartreuse.

4. Space - refers to distances or areas around, between or within components of a piece and refers to the arrangement of objects
on the picture plane (two-dimensional). In visual arts, space may either be positive space or negative space. Positive space
refers to a part which is enclosed in a shape. Meanwhile, negative space refers to the opposite part which the shape is
enclosing.

Moreover, perspective is a technical means by which we perceive distance in painting, by which we are made to see the
position of objects in space.
a. In one-point perspective, we perceive that the position of objects meets at one point on the horizontal line.
b. In two-point perspective, we perceive that the position of objects meets at two points on the horizontal line.

one-point perspective two-point perspective

5. Texture - is the element that appeals to our sense of feel on things rough or smooth, bumpy or slippery. It is the character of
the surface of an artwork.
a. Real texture is the actual texture of an object. Artist may create real
texture in art to give it visual interest or evoke a feeling.
b. Implied texture made a piece of art to look like a certain texture. Like
a drawing of a tree trunk may look rough but in fact it is just a smooth
piece of paper.
 6. Value - pertains to the lightness or darkness of a color in a given artwork. Value can be changed by adding white or black to a
color and these described as tint and shade.
a. Tint pertains to the lightness of a color.
b. Shade pertains to the darkness of a color.

7. Form - is the three-dimensionality of an object. It has dimensions of height, width, and

length.

According to Mader (2019), the elements of art are the visual tools that the artist uses to create a composition. Consequently,
principles of art represent how the artist uses elements of art to create an effect and convey the artist's intent.

Principles of Art

1. Rhythm - This refers to the repetition of certain elements to produce a pattern. 1

2. Movement - is the illusion of motion in a painting, sculpture, or design.
3. Balance - refers to the visual weight in a picture. It refers to the even distribution of positions of
elements in an artwork. The principle of balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
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a. Symmetrical balance refers to an artwork wherein it’s both sides has the same elements in
the same position.
b. Asymmetrical balance refers to an artwork wherein it is balance through the contrast or
differences of any of the elements of art.
4. Proportion - refers to the relationships of the size of objects in a body of work.
5. Contrast - this principle shows differences between elements of art in an artwork. It shows how
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stronger each element of art in relation to one another.
6. Variety - this principle of art refers to the diversity or the different elementsused in an artwork to make
it more interesting.
7. Emphasis - refers to the greater impact or highlight given to a certain element in an artwork.
8. Harmony - this principle of art refers to the unity of an artwork. It is about the arrangement of the
related elements that makes an artwork to be viewed as a whole.
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These elements and principles of arts are very important aspects in understanding and appreciating arts. It
helps an artist to make an artistic artwork which conveys their essential ideas or their intent. However, it is not just 5
served as a help to artists but also to the viewers. Through the elements and principles of art present in an artwork,
viewers will be able to understand, appreciate, and evaluate an artwork. Hence, we will apply elements and principles
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of art in evaluating artworks.