87th Birth Anniversary of National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 87th birth anniversary of National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao, the first National Artist from Mindanao who was born #OnThisDay in 1936.

For his birth anniversary, we are featuring his bronze sculpture, The Bust of Antonio L. Tambunting (1908-1976), completed in 2009, which is the newest addition to the National Fine Arts Collection. Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting and his family donated this sculpture in 2022. The donor, Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting, commissioned National Artist Imao to create a bust of his father, Antonio L. Tambunting. The figure used to be displayed in the Head Office of Planters Development Bank, where Ambassador Tambunting served as the board’s first chairperson. You may view the bust at the Antonio and Aurora Tambunting Gallery entrance at the National Museum of Anthropology.

NA Imao was a sculptor, painter, photographer, ceramist, filmmaker, researcher, and writer. He was born in Siasi, Sulu. He earned his fine arts degree at the University of the Philippines. He pursued graduate studies at Kansas University, Rhode Island School of Design, and Columbia University. He produced several photojournalistic and research work about the people of Mindanao. He also studied and promoted indigenous brass casting techniques. His works displayed the indigenous okir or ukkil, sarimanok, and other motifs from Southern Philippines. In 2006, Imao was declared a National Artist for Visual Arts. He passed away on December 16, 2014, at the age of 78 years old. 

The National Fine Arts Collection holds five other artworks of NA Imao. Found in the exhibition galleries at the National Museum of Fine Arts are the following: Sarimanok (1975, acrylic on canvas), Sarimanok (1969, bronze), Fishes (1976, bronze, two pieces), and Sarimanok (1996, pounded brass).

You may view these artworks when you visit the #NationalMuseumPh! We are open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 9 AM to 6 PM. Entrance is free!

Text by NMP-FAD

Photo by NMP-EEMPSD

©National Museum of the Philippines (2022)