ABOUT THE WORK

As one of the country’s revered 13 Moderns, Galo B. Ocampo paved the way for the flourishing of modern art in the Philippines. As an artist, Ocampo first did stage backdrops for Associated Artists, a collective headed by Fernando Poe Sr. Ocampo was eventually offered a curatorship position at the Presidential Museum at the Malacañang Palace, and was layered appointed as the director of the National Museum. Ocampo was among the groundbreaking visionaries that sought to reshape and progress the world of Philippine art during his era. Together with fellow artists Victorio Edades and Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Ocampo sought to reinvigorate the local art scene by subverting the dominant genre of Academic Conservatism. Ocampo introduced to the local scene the core tenets of Modernism, which itself was an amalgamation of numerous western styles such as cubism and surrealism. But despite its foreign origins, Ocampo was able to create distinctly local and indigenous scenes that eventually captured the hearts and minds of established patrons and commoners alike. In this piece, Ocampo presents us with an undoubtedly Filipino subject-matter—the mother and child. Ocampo’s central figures are rendered in his own unique artistic style, a combination of soft yet vibrant colors integrated with rigid angles and poses—a treatment that is indicative of Ocampo modernist leanings. His background elements are relatively more abstract, effectively taking cue from the school of Expressionism. Yet, what makes this piece so captivating is that it exemplifies the Filipino spirit of creativity and ingenuity. Despite its seemingly distant and remote roots, Ocampo was able to masterfully mold and shape his influences into something that is uniquely his own.