Artist Juvenal Sansó Dies at 95
While born in Spain, it was in the Philippines where his art career flourished.
(SPOT.ph) Juvenal Sansó, the celebrated Spanish artist who made a name for himself in the Philippine art world, passed away Friday, March 28. He had Type 2 diabetes and suffered a cardiac arrest yesterday noontime. He was 95.
While born in Catalonia, Spain, Sansó spent most of his life in the Philippines, moving here with his family when he was only five years old. He was a special student at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts after the war, and had no less than Fernando Amorsolo as one of his teachers.
His early years of making art
While his early years of art-making were influenced by the trauma he suffered from wartime (he had two near death experiences), he would eventually be known for his unique landscapes and vibrant flower paintings. He won first prize in the watercolor category of the Art Association of the Philippines Annual Art Competition in 1950, repeating the triumph the following year but this time in the oil category.
His first solo show was in Paris in the late 1950s, following his studies at the L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts. His sophomore show was at the influential Philippine Art Gallery where his fellow modernists like H.R. Ocampo and Vicente Manansala also launched their careers.
Sansó's legacy lives on
Sansó was given the Presidential Medal of Merit in 2006 for his contributions to Philippine art. He also received the Order of Isabella, a knighthood from the King of Spain, and the Chevalier des Arts et Letres from the French Government.
His legacy lives on in San Juan's Fundacion Sansó, which has been running his museum, authenticating his works, and awarding scholarships to deserving art students, scholars, artists, and cultural workers all over the country—just as the old man wished.