P-Noy pays tribute to Anita Magsaysay-Ho

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino mourned the passing of the greatest Filipino woman painter, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, and paid tribute to her contributions to Philippine art.

The President said he was joining “a grateful nation in mourning the loss of a treasure of Philippine art.”

“I was saddened to learn about the passing of Anita Magsaysay-Ho. Her art broke new ground and her advocacy for modernism brought a new vitality and creative spirit to the visual arts. Her medium of choice, egg tempera, earned her a loyal and devoted following not only in the Philippines but internationally,” Aquino said.

“For someone who lived a cosmopolitan life, Magsaysay-Ho always remembered where she had come from. Born, raised, and schooled in Manila, she was taught by and worked with the best Filipino artists, and her art always depicted domestic scenes and celebrated the spirit of the Filipina,” he said.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband Robert Ho and their family, all those who loved her and were inspired by her art,” the President said.

Magsaysay-Ho died last Saturday at the age of 97.

Earlier, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of Anita Magsaysay-Ho who brought great pride to our country as an artist.”

“Throughout her long, noteworthy career, Magsaysay-Ho was considered part of a trailblazing group of artists who revolutionized Philippine art. Her lasting contribution to art and culture will forever be remembered by a nation she inspired and portrayed through her work,” Lacierda said.

Magsaysay-Ho is the daughter of Ambrosio Magsaysay and Armilla Corpus.

She studied at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts under Fabian de la Rosa, Vicente Rivera y Mir, and Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo.

Magsaysay-Ho won awards in several local and international art competitions and exhibited in major local and international art galleries.

Her famous works depict figurative abstracts of women at work, landscapes, and Philippine genre scenes. Her charcoal sketches of female nudes are also widely recognized.

Magsaysay-Ho’s works are showcased in major museums and galleries such as the Metropolitan Museum of the Philippines, the Yuchengco Museum, the Lopez Memorial Museum and Library, and the Ateneo Art Museum.