EP20: Portrait of a Filipina in Anita Magsaysay-Ho | Women in Art, Social Realism, Motherhood

ArticulatePH presents Lost Conversations - a series of interviews conducted 50 years ago by publisher, art critic, and artist - Cid Reyes. These cassette tape recordings captured conversations with masters and future National Artists, now digitized and restored by ArticulatePH, and made available for today’s art enthusiasts. Listen to these invaluable sound bites - national treasures transporting us to an era on the brink of a Philippine contemporary art revolution. ***** “The female Amorsolo.” Anita Magsaysay-Ho retreated from receiving such a label, one that would have elevated other female artists to the pinnacle of success. This benediction assured her a permanent place in the pantheon of Philippine art. But, true to her character and breeding, she would have none of it. A natural humility and honesty compelled her to say, “There is only one Amorsolo.” However, the label endured, particularly when her painting "In the Marketplace" fetched a staggering S$669,259 (P15M at the time) at Christie's Singapore auction in 1999. Unsurprisingly, the media embraced the fevered atmosphere, celebrating the pride in Philippine art and, more significantly, a woman artist finally breaking the glass ceiling. In Philippine art, Anita Magsaysay-Ho was sui generis, a class unto herself. Wrote the late critic Emmanuel Torres: Anita Magsaysay-Ho has a unique way of idealizing her favorite subjects: women of peasant stock working in the field, mending fishing nets, puttering around the backyard, feeding the chickens, gossiping, and the like. They are lean, with long, regal necks, slit eyes, and hair wrapped in kerchiefs… They exhibit radiant health, humor, and poise. The women of the 1950s…are memorable for their elongated forms, angular gestures, and slick surfaces. Their slickness derives from an impeccably tidy brushwork and an elaborate painting technique in layers and glazes, allowing light to get through the underpainting. In 2012, the Philippine art community mourned the passing of Anita Magsaysay-Ho, aged 97. #philippineart #philippinecontemporaryart #philippinepainting #philippinesculpture #mastersinart #philippineartscene #philippineartists #philippinegallerists #artists #gallerists #oiloncanvas #acryliconcanvas #art #philippineartandculture #philippineheritage #philippinehertiageonservation #artinspiration #nationaltreasure #jaimeponcedeleon #premierauctionhouse #auction #auctionhouse #auction_star #auction_master #auction #romulogalicano #galicano #inspringstory #inspiring #cidreyes #malang #mauromalangsantos #lostconversation #cassettetape #cassettetapeinterview #interview #master #nationalartist #imeldamarcos #josejoya #joya #abstractexpressionism #abstractexpressionist #collage #anitamagsaysayho #anitoho #dorismagsaysayho #lostconversations #cidreyes #melvinmangada #articulateph #nationalmuseumofthephilippines #museumfoundationofthephilippines #mfpi