ABOUT THE WORK

In 1999, 2001, and 2014, Francisco V. Coching was nominated as National Artist for the Visual Arts, the highest honors the Republic confers on the nation’s artists. His nomination also represents a recognition of komiks as a legitimate art form, elevating it from its lowbrow roots. If Philippine comics is enjoying a resurgence in popularity, that is because pioneers like Francisco Coching laid the foundation for the komiks industry to exist. The Dean of Philippine Comics, Coching was conferred National Artist for the Visual Arts in 2014. A contemporary of National Artists Carlos (Botong) Francisco, Vicente Manansala, Francisco Reyes, Coching was born into the art. Early in his career, Coching apprenticed under the father of Philippine Komiks, Tony Velasquez. Says artwriter Alice Guillermo: “(Coching’s) style was characterized by dynamic curvilinear lines and tonal modeling with fluid, undulating effect.”