Ang Kiukok

Ang Kiukok (Chinese: 洪救國); born Ang Hwa Shing (Chinese: 勝華昂);^[1] (March 1, 1931 – May 9, 2005) was a leading Filipino painter and a National Artist for Visual Arts.^[2]

Early Life and Training

He was born Ang Hwa Shing (Chinese: 勝華昂) on March 1, 1931 in Davao City, Philippines to Chinese Filipino parents, Ang Pang Suy Gong (Chinese: 李安龐公失敗; later Vicente Ang) and Lim Chin (Chinese: 林震), who had emigrated from Xiamen.^[1] He pursued Art Studies at the University of Santo Tomas, where he was taught by Filipino art masters, most notably Vicente Manansala who was to become a lifelong friend and mentor.

Body of Work

He first attained prominence in the Philippine arts scene in the 1960s with a distinct style that fused influences from cubism, surrealism and expressionism. Some classified his style as "figurative expressionism", others merely called it ugly. What could not be doubted was the violence in his imagery, a factor that slighted the commercial viability of his works until the 1980s. He favored such subjects as fighting cocks, rabid dogs, and people enraptured by rage or bound in chains. He painted multiple depictions of the crucified Christ that did not shirk from portraying the agonies normally associated with the crucifixion. When asked why he was so angry, he replied, "Why not? Open your eyes. Look around you. So much anger, sorrow, ugliness. And also madness." The intensity of his works stood in contrast to his own personality, described as "placid and affable".^[3]

The grave of Ang Kiukok at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

It did not escape attention that many of Ang's most violent or gruesome imagery was painted during the martial law rule of Ferdinand Marcos, though he did not build a reputation for himself as a prominent critic of the Marcos regime.

Ang was conferred the honor of being a National Artist for Visual Arts in 2001, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 32, s. 2001, which was signed on April 20, 2001.^[4] The ceremonial conferment of the honor to Ang and three other artists - F. Sionil Jose (literature), Ishmael Bernal (film) and Severino Montano (theater arts) - was held on June 11, 2001.^[5]

Legacy and Death

In the end, Ang emerged not only as a critical favorite, but a commercially popular artist as well. Upon his death from cancer on May 9, 2005, it was reported that he and fellow National Artist Fernando Amorsolo were the most widely bidded after Filipino painters in auctions.^[6]

References

Specific

General

• Torres, Emmanuel (2003). "Ang Kiukok's Icons of Pain and Struggle". The National Artists of the Philippines 1999-2003. Philippines: Cultural Center of the Philippines & Anvil Publishing, Inc. pp. 15–29. ISBN 971-27-1411-X. 
• Zulueta, Lito B. Visionary National Artist Ang Kiukok Dies; 74, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 11, 2005, retrieved on January 1, 2007 and FilipinioLibrarian.Blogspot.com, retrieved on, July 6, 2007
• Endaya, Imelda Cajipe (artist and independent curator) and Cecilia B. Rebong (Philippine Consul-General). "Pamana: Modernong Sining" (A Heritage of Modern Art), An Art Exhibit from the Collection of the Philippine Center in New York, Printed Catalogue, The Consulate General of the Philippines, Philippine Center Management Board, and PCGNY.net, June 11, 2007, 12 pages.

National Artists of the Philippines Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas Architecture 1973 Juan Nakpil 1976 Pablo Antonio 1990 Leandro Locsin 2003 Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr. 2014 Jose Maria Zaragosa Cinema 1982 Gerardo de León 1991 Ishmael Bernal 1997 Lino Brocka 2003 Eddie Romero 2006 Fernando Poe, Jr. 2009 Manuel Conde Dance 1973 Francisca R. Aquino 1976 Leonor Orosa 1988 Lucrecia Reyes 2006 Ramon Obusan 2014 Alice Reyes Fashion 2006 Ramon Valera Historical literature 1997 Carlos Quirino Literature 1973 Jose Garcia Villa 1973 Amado V. Hernandez 1976 Nick Joaquin 1982 Carlos P. Romulo 1990 Francisco Arcellana 1990 N. V. M. Gonzalez 1992 Rolando Tinio 1999 Edith Tiempo 2001 F. Sionil José 2003 Virgilio S. Almario 2003 Alejandro Roces 2006 Bienvenido Lumbera 2009 Lazaro Francisco 2014 Cirilo F. Bautista Music 1973 Antonio Molina 1976 Jovita Fuentes 1987 Atang de la Rama 1988 Antonio Buenaventura 1988 Lucrecia Kasilag 1991 Lucio D. San Pedro 1997 Levi Celerio 1997 Felipe de Leon 1997 José Maceda 1999 Ernani Cuenco 1999 Andrea Veneracion 2014 Ramon Santos 2014 Francisco Feliciano Theater and films 1976 Lamberto V. Avellana 1997 Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero 1997 Rolando Tinio 1999 Daisy Avellana 2001 Severino Montano 2003 Salvador Bernal Visual arts 1972 Fernando Amorsolo 1973 Botong Francisco 1973 Guillermo Tolentino 1976 Napoleon Abueva 1976 Victorio C. Edades 1990 Cesar Legaspi 1981 Vicente Manansala 1991 Hernando R. Ocampo 1997 Arturo R. Luz 1999 J. Elizalde Navarro 2001 Ang Kiukok 2003 José T. Joya 2006 BenCab Cabrera 2006 Abdulmari Asia Imao 2009 Federico Aguilar Alcuaz 2014 Francisco Coching National Commission for Culture and the Arts Cultural Center of the Philippines National Arts Center

Filipino painters Pacita Abad Martino Abellana Federico Aguilar Alcuaz Fernando Amorsolo Pablo Amorsolo Isidro Ancheta Marcel Antonio Luis Eduardo Aute Elmer Borlongan Benedicto Cabrera Fabián de la Rosa Damián Domingo Victorio C. Edades Botong Francisco Paco Gorospe Félix Resurrección Hidalgo José T. Joya Ang Kiukok Cesar Legaspi Nestor Leynes Juan Luna Arturo R. Luz Malang Joy Mallari Vicente Manansala Jao Mapa Maningning Miclat Hernando R. Ocampo Onib Olmedo Alfonso A. Ossorio Mario Parial José Rizal Fernando Sena Danny Sillada Romeo Villalva Tabuena Fernando Zóbel de Ayala y Montojo Category:Filipino painters