Antonio Austria

Antonio Gilbuena Austria (born May 5, 1936) is a Filipino visual artist.

Antonio Austria
Born
Antonio Gilbuena Austria

(1936-05-05) May 5, 1936
Shanghai, China
NationalityFilipino
Alma materUniversity of Santo Tomas
Known forPainting

Early life

Antonio Gilbuena Austria was born in Shanghai, China on May 5, 1936. His parents, Pedro Austria and Lucila Gilbuena, were both from San Pedro, Laguna, Philippines. In 1937, after the Sino-Japanese War broke out, his family returned to the Philippines and settled in the Municipality of San Juan (now a city).[1]

In 1942, the young Austria began his education in Santa Lucia Elementary School, located just a few meters away from their house in San Juan. As a young boy, he learned drawing by copying his favorite characters from the comics. By the time he went to high school at San Sebastian College in 1948, he had decided to pursue a career in the arts.

After finishing high school in 1952, he studied fine arts in the University of Santo Tomas in Manila (UST). In Santo Tomas, he honed his artistic skills under the tutelage of the most renowned Filipino artists, such as Victorio Edades, Vicente Manansala, Diosdado Lorenzo and Galo Ocampo, who all greatly influenced his painting style. It was also at UST where he met his close friend, National Artist Ang Kiukok.[2]

Career

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1956, Austria's first job was in the Universal Textile Mills, as a textile designer. Austria worked as a textile designer for 10 years, before teaching art at the University of Santo Tomas in 1969. He taught for 27 years, before deciding to become an artist.

In 1959, he joined the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) with his entry piece "Magpapalayok". He has since joined several exhibitions in the Philippines and abroad. In 1979, he presented about nineteen works in oil and twelve composition drawings in Gallerie Dominique. Between 1962 and 1982, he exhibited works in Australia, New York, and Japan. Austria has also participated in several group exhibits held in various galleries in Manila.

Style

He has been inspired by simple subjects and everyday scenes, such as Jeepneys, sari-sari stores, and billiard parlors. He is known for his compositions, and some of his paintings are Philippine themed.[3]

Awards
  • 1970 - "Thirteen Artists Award"[4][5]
  • 1st Prize - Philippine National Bank's 60th Anniversary art exhibit[2]
  • 2002 - Awarded "Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan sa Larangan ng Pagpipinta"[6]
  • Outstanding Thomasian Alumnus in the field of Visual Arts[7]

References
  1. "Old Master of the Visual Arts Antonio Austria : Philippine Art, Culture and Antiquities". artesdelasfilipinas.com. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  2. "Old Master of the Visual Arts Antonio Austria (second of two parts) : Philippine Art, Culture and Antiquities". artesdelasfilipinas.com. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  3. "Art News | todayartpick". Todayartpick.wordpress.com. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  4. Hildawa, Sid Gomez. "Thirteen Artists and an Award". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  5. OctoberCMS. "The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Thirteen Artists Awards (TAA)". vintana.ph. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  6. Staff, Fringe. "Exhibit walk-through with Antonio Austria on 15 June". Retrieved 2023-03-30.
  7. Gallery, Ateneo Art (2023-01-06). "Antonio Austria". Ateneo Art Gallery. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.