Ang Kiukok (1931-2005)
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Ang Kiukok (1931-2005) was a popular Filipino artist best known for his depictions of violent imagery and for originating the style of figurative expressionism. Equally at home on canvas and paper, Ang's versatility helped the elevation of sketches from medium simply for the production of studies to a well-respected art form in their own right.
Ang Kiukok was born in Davao City, Philippines to Chinese immigrant parents. Early encouragement of his art led to Ang's enrollment in the University of Santo Tomas in Fine Art in 1952. There, notable Filipino painters such as Vicente Manansala recognized his talent; Manansala would become Ang's primary mentor and lifelong friend. After his time at university, Ang spent his time teaching and participating in art shows. He held his first solo exhibition in 1954 and won numerous awards during this period.
In 1965, a trip to New York led to a shift in Ang's style, influenced by the abstract art that he saw there. His artwork continued to portray the anger that he saw in the world around him. As Ang worked mostly during the repressive dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, his art often reflects the political strife of the time, veiled in shrouds of metaphor in order to avoid being detected and censored. Although he never expressed his opposition to the Marcos regime, his artwork nevertheless reflects what many see as animosity towards the dictator while Ang himself maintained a calm composure. Despite his later, more robotic pieces being rejected by the public fancy, he nevertheless persisted in staying true to himself and painting without regard for public opinion. After this period, his paintings again grew in popularity in the 1970s, leading to a period of celebration of Ang's work that would persist beyond his passing.
In 1976, Ang was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award which led to the 1978 Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, and in 2001, he was awarded the Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas (National Artists of the Philippines) order, the highest honor bestowed for artistic achievement in the Philippines. A retrospective of Ang's work was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 2000; he was only the third person in the history of the museum to receive this honor. He died from prostate cancer in 2005 and was buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani, Manila's national cemetery for Filipino heroes. Today, Ang remains one of the most recognizable and sought-after Filipino artists.
Ang Kiukok was born in Davao City, Philippines to Chinese immigrant parents. Early encouragement of his art led to Ang's enrollment in the University of Santo Tomas in Fine Art in 1952. There, notable Filipino painters such as Vicente Manansala recognized his talent; Manansala would become Ang's primary mentor and lifelong friend. After his time at university, Ang spent his time teaching and participating in art shows. He held his first solo exhibition in 1954 and won numerous awards during this period.
In 1965, a trip to New York led to a shift in Ang's style, influenced by the abstract art that he saw there. His artwork continued to portray the anger that he saw in the world around him. As Ang worked mostly during the repressive dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, his art often reflects the political strife of the time, veiled in shrouds of metaphor in order to avoid being detected and censored. Although he never expressed his opposition to the Marcos regime, his artwork nevertheless reflects what many see as animosity towards the dictator while Ang himself maintained a calm composure. Despite his later, more robotic pieces being rejected by the public fancy, he nevertheless persisted in staying true to himself and painting without regard for public opinion. After this period, his paintings again grew in popularity in the 1970s, leading to a period of celebration of Ang's work that would persist beyond his passing.
In 1976, Ang was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award which led to the 1978 Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, and in 2001, he was awarded the Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas (National Artists of the Philippines) order, the highest honor bestowed for artistic achievement in the Philippines. A retrospective of Ang's work was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in 2000; he was only the third person in the history of the museum to receive this honor. He died from prostate cancer in 2005 and was buried in Libingan ng mga Bayani, Manila's national cemetery for Filipino heroes. Today, Ang remains one of the most recognizable and sought-after Filipino artists.