80th Birth Anniversary of David Cortes Medalla

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines

Mud on one of the paintings?

For the #OnThisDay feature of the #NationalMuseumPH celebrating the 80th birth anniversary of Filipino international artist David Medalla, we highlight his 1957 “Self-Portrait” from the National Fine Arts Collection (NFAC).

Medalla completed his “Self-Portrait” in 1957 when he was 15 years old. In 2017, the artist visited the National Museum of Fine Arts, as shown in this photo.  He told the staff that he used mud in this oil painting — an early manifestation of his curiosity and artistic genius. This painting is one of the artworks in the NFAC that a Filipino artist did at a very young age. 

The pioneering figure in kinetic art, participatory art, and performance art was born in Manila in 1942. At 14, American poet and his poetry tutor at Camp Rising Sun, Mark van Doren, recommended him for admission at Columbia University in New York City. After his studies in New York City, he moved to London and became one of the leading art figures in the UK capital. He is best remembered for his “Cloud Canyon” sculptures or bubble machines. 

Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), a renowned French artist, presented Medalla with his “Medallic Sculpture” in the 1960s. This was his tribute to Medalla’s “Cloud Canyon” sculptures — cementing Medalla’s prominence and place in the international art scene. In 2000, he launched the London Biennale, “a biennale open to every artist regardless of age, sex, ethnic origin, and artistic language or style.” 

Medalla’s artworks are included in the collection of major museums worldwide, namely: The National Gallery Singapore, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Tate Modern in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He joined numerous international exhibitions and lectured at many institutions and universities here in the Philippines and abroad. 

The artist passed away on December 28, 2020, in Manila.  Still, his legacy and inspiration continue to live in the number of artists his life and art have touched.

We are now accepting walk-in guests! View “Self-Portrait” at the Pillars of Philippine Modernism Gallery, (Gallery XVIII) of the National Museum of Fine Arts on your next tour. Browse through this website for more information. 

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Text by NMP-FAD

Photos by Bengy Toda and NMP-FAD

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