Hernando R. Ocampo
Encyclopedia
Hernando R. Ocampo is a Filipino
National Artist in the visual arts. He is also fiction
ist, a playwright
and editor
.
in 1938. Famously known for his triumvirate of with neo-realists Vicente S. Manansala
and Cesar Legaspi
, his works reflected the harsh realities of his country after the Second World War. However, many of his works depicted lush sceneries and the beautiful Philippine landscapes through his skillful use of fierce and bold colors.
H. R. Ocampo was credited for inventing a new mode of abstraction that exemplifies Philippine flora
and fauna
, and portrays sunshine
, star
s and rain
. Using movement and bold colors, Ocampo utilized fantasy
and science fiction
as the basis for his works. His art is described to be "abstract compositions of biological forms that seemed to oscillate, quiver, inflame and multiply]]" like mutations. His A Wiping (1974, oil on canvas, 30 inches x 40 inches) is a flat rendition of a style that Ocampo himself revealed to be a representation of "visual melody".
Ocampo was born in Santa Cruz, Manila, but later transferred to Maypajo, Caloocan. His parents were Emilio Ocampo y Saltiero and Delfina Ruiz y Santo. He originally studied law, commerce and creative writing, and worked as a writer before he taught himself the visual arts. During his career as a writer, he was one of the organizers of Veronicans, a young group of progressive and prolific writers. He worked in various periodicals such as Taliba newspaper and Manila Sunday Chronicle magazine. He also worked as a scriptwriter and director for television, and produced and directed for the Filipino Players Guild.
His works as a writer includes “Don’t Cry, Don’t Fret” in poetry; “Ikalawang Pagdalaw,” “Unang Pamumulaklak,” “Rice and Bullets,” and “Bakia” in fiction; and “Buntot Page,” a screenplay written with Mario David.
His major works in the visual arts include Ina ng Balon, Calvary, Slum Dwellers, Nude with Candle and Flower, Man and Carabao, Angel's Kiss, Palayok at Kalan, Ancestors, Isda at Mangga, The Resurrection, Fifty-three "Q,” Back drop, Fiesta, Mother and Child, Easter Sunday, and his most acknowledged work Genesis, which served as the basis of curtain design in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater. His works were exhibited in Washington, New York, London, and Tokyo, among others.
Awards received include: Republic Cultural Award in 1965; Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award in 1969; Diwa ng Lahi Award in 1976; and Gawad CCP para sa Sining Award in 1979.
Ocampo died at the age of 67 in Caloocan City. He was posthumously declared as a National Artist
for the Visual Arts in 1991.
Famous for his work "We or They"
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
National Artist in the visual arts. He is also fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
ist, a playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
.
Profile of the Artist
Hernando Ruiz Ocampo was a leading radical modernist artist in the Philippines. He was a member of the Saturday Group of artists (also known as the Taza de Oro Group), and was one of the pre-war Thirteen Moderns, a group of modernist artists founded by Victorio C. EdadesVictorio C. Edades
Victorio C. Edades is a Filipino painter who was the leader of the revolutionary Thirteen Moderns who engaged their classical compatriots in heated debate over the nature and function of art. He was named a National Artist in 1976.-Biography:Victorio Edades was born on December 23, 1895 to Hilario...
in 1938. Famously known for his triumvirate of with neo-realists Vicente S. Manansala
Vicente Manansala
Vicente Silva Manansala was a Philippine cubist painter and illustrator.Manansala was born in Macabebe, Pampanga. From 1926 to 1930, he studied at the U.P. School of Fine Arts. In 1949, Manansala received a six-month grant by UNESCO to study at the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Banff and Montreal, Canada...
and Cesar Legaspi
Cesar Legaspi
Cesar Legaspi on April 2, 1917 in Tondo, Manila is a Filipino National Artist awardee in painting. He was also an art director prior to going full-time in his visual art practice in the 1960s. His early works, alongside those of peer, Hernando Ocampo are described as depictions of anguish and...
, his works reflected the harsh realities of his country after the Second World War. However, many of his works depicted lush sceneries and the beautiful Philippine landscapes through his skillful use of fierce and bold colors.
H. R. Ocampo was credited for inventing a new mode of abstraction that exemplifies Philippine flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
, and portrays sunshine
Sunshine
Sunshine is sunlight, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun, especially in the visible wavelengths.Sunshine may also refer to:-Film and television:*Sunshine , a historical film directed by István Szabó...
, star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s and rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
. Using movement and bold colors, Ocampo utilized fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
as the basis for his works. His art is described to be "abstract compositions of biological forms that seemed to oscillate, quiver, inflame and multiply]]" like mutations. His A Wiping (1974, oil on canvas, 30 inches x 40 inches) is a flat rendition of a style that Ocampo himself revealed to be a representation of "visual melody".
Ocampo was born in Santa Cruz, Manila, but later transferred to Maypajo, Caloocan. His parents were Emilio Ocampo y Saltiero and Delfina Ruiz y Santo. He originally studied law, commerce and creative writing, and worked as a writer before he taught himself the visual arts. During his career as a writer, he was one of the organizers of Veronicans, a young group of progressive and prolific writers. He worked in various periodicals such as Taliba newspaper and Manila Sunday Chronicle magazine. He also worked as a scriptwriter and director for television, and produced and directed for the Filipino Players Guild.
His works as a writer includes “Don’t Cry, Don’t Fret” in poetry; “Ikalawang Pagdalaw,” “Unang Pamumulaklak,” “Rice and Bullets,” and “Bakia” in fiction; and “Buntot Page,” a screenplay written with Mario David.
His major works in the visual arts include Ina ng Balon, Calvary, Slum Dwellers, Nude with Candle and Flower, Man and Carabao, Angel's Kiss, Palayok at Kalan, Ancestors, Isda at Mangga, The Resurrection, Fifty-three "Q,” Back drop, Fiesta, Mother and Child, Easter Sunday, and his most acknowledged work Genesis, which served as the basis of curtain design in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater. His works were exhibited in Washington, New York, London, and Tokyo, among others.
Awards received include: Republic Cultural Award in 1965; Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award in 1969; Diwa ng Lahi Award in 1976; and Gawad CCP para sa Sining Award in 1979.
Ocampo died at the age of 67 in Caloocan City. He was posthumously declared as a National Artist
National Artist of the Philippines
A National Artist of the Philippines is a title given to a Filipino who has been given the highest recognition for having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts...
for the Visual Arts in 1991.
Famous for his work "We or They"
See also
- Art of the Philippines