Last 26 August, the National Museum of the Philippines, in partnership with Fundacion Sansó, welcomed the newest exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts—” Sansó: Pusong Pilipino – A Juvenal Sansó Retrospective.”
The exhibition offers a glimpse into the vibrant life of Spanish-born artist Juvenal Sansó. Present in the exhibit are some of Sansó’s works composed from his early works in the 1940s to his last Moderno series made in the late 2000s. Though Sansó did not have a drop of Filipino blood, he loved the country and lived in it as if it were his own. He grew up in the humble streets of Manila where he experienced the wraths of war, and later on studied in the UP School of Fine Arts. His landscape paintings from his studies in the university can be seen in the exhibit, alongside his Baklad series.
Sansó died on 28 March 2025 at the age of 95, but his works of art lived through his advocacies.
NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns warmly welcomed the guests and thanked Fundacion Sansó for promoting his art and love for the Filipino people. In his appreciation of Sansó’s legacy, he acknowledged how experiences of war, exile, healing, and everyday life have left their mark on his creative imagination.
For Fundacion Sansó Director Ricky Francisco, art isn’t just about identity, and the Filipinoness of Sansó’s works can’t be measured by official recognition or blood. According to Francisco, what stands out in some of his pieces is Sansó’s witness to the reality of tragedy. He also emphasized Fundacion Sansó’s ongoing support in helping new artists discover themselves through education for the country’s emerging creatives.
In his gratitude to those who donated selected artworks by Sansó, NMP Chairman Andoni Aboitiz also hopes that their gifts to the nation will bring inspiration, so that cultural institutions, along with collectors and art supporters, can further enrich this national treasure that defines our Filipino identity. He is also happy about the public’s spontaneous and quick recognition of Sansó’s works, even though he only recently passed away.
A proud scholar of the foundation, Gwen Dionisio, sees this opportunity as “living proof of Sansó’s love for Filipinos.” The scholarship helped paved the way to her artistic endeavours, and she had hoped to spread this inspiration among others.
The Director of the National Museum of Fine Arts, Rica Estrada Uson, concluded the event and celebrated the success of every individual who made the exhibit possible.
The ”Sansó: Pusong Pilipino – A Juvenal Sansó Retrospective”, located at Gallery XV, 3/F, National Museum of Fine Arts, will be open until 28 February 2027.
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