OAAW Woman Nature Catalog
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Fil Delacruz<br />
For the past 50 years, printmaker and painter Fil Delacruz has been making his mark in the Philippine art scene by<br />
morphing his muses as an ever-evolving entity that showcases both the beauty and mystery of a Filipina. A woman<br />
represents many things in his art. She is his philosophical other, his inspirer, like the ethnic woman he depicted in many<br />
of his award-winning etchings in the 80’s, an ethnic beauty turned into a goddess in a show entitled “Bulawan” (Gold)<br />
at Galerie Y. In his lithographic show entitled “Dilim at Liwanag” at the Drawing Room, his muses represent the beauty<br />
and sepulchral Madonna, adorned by the symbols of death and temptations. She is mother earth, color-wrapped<br />
nymphs behind lush landscapes in a show entitled “Samba” at the Crucible Gallery. Through the years, Delacruz has<br />
called the women in his artworks several names: diwata (goddess), mother earth, wood nymph, universal woman,<br />
maskara (mask) and subconscious other. His art continues to grow and explore new ways of expression.<br />
He has attended art workshops in Paris, France and conducted series of printmaking workshops all over the<br />
Philippines. He has exhibited in various prominent cities including Guanzou, China; Essen, Germany; Gerona, Spain;<br />
Hong Kong; Bratislava, Czechoslovakia; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France and New York, USA. He has taught at the<br />
Philippine High School for the Arts in Los Baños, the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts and the<br />
University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design. He was the President of the Philippine Association of<br />
Printmakers from 1990 to 2000. He also served as President of Lakansining ng Bulakan.<br />
Delacruz is a Thirteen Artists Awardee of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1992, Outstanding Bulakenyo in the<br />
field of arts in 1982, and Outstanding Citizen of Muntinlupa in the field of arts in 1999. He was awarded the “Parangal<br />
Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan” from the City of Manila in 2007. He was also a recipient of the Distinguised<br />
Thomasian Alumni in 2019 and Outstanding Atelier Alumni Honours in 2023.<br />
He resides in his Art Studio/Gallery at Bahaysining, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.<br />
Fil Delacruz studied at the University of Santo Tomas, major in Advertising<br />
Arts. He is a consistent winner in national art competitions and a recipient<br />
of the Benavides Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1973.<br />
His first solo show of mezzotint prints was at the Hiraya Gallery in 1982.<br />
Since then, he has held more than 30 exhibits in major cities in the<br />
Philippines and around the world.<br />
His art is rich in indigenous symbols and ethnic imagery. He is a consistent<br />
winner of the Art Association of the Philippines’ (AAP) annual competition.<br />
His work “Thanatopsis” won first prize at the AAP competition in 1981,<br />
and this was followed by his winning the grand prize for two consecutive<br />
years: “Transmogrification” in 1982 and “Goddess of the South” in 1983.<br />
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