93rd Birth Anniversary of Napoleon Veloso Abueva

Posted on: January 26, 2023 | National Museum of the Philippines

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 93rd birth anniversary of Napoleon “Billy” Veloso Abueva, born #OnThisDay in 1930.

Napoleon Abueva was born in Manila but grew up in Duero, Bohol. He finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture from the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts in 1953. He was mentored by the first National Artist for Sculptor Guillermo Tolentino. He pursued studies abroad and became a versatile sculptor who produced works in academic representational style and modern abstract using various materials such as wood, metal, steel, cement, bronze, marble, and brass. He was recognized as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture. In 1976, Abueva was declared National Artist for Sculpture.

Featured here from the National Fine Arts Collection is one of Abueva’s notable creations and early works, “Mother and Child”, sculpted in adobe stone or volcanic tuff. It depicts a sitting mother adorably playing with her child as she raises her kid above her head as the child reaches back to cling to her.

You may view this featured artwork and other works by Napoleon Abueva at the Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall (Gallery XIII), Third Floor of the National Museum of Fine Arts, and in the “Pagpauli: A Homecoming Exhibition of National Artist Napoleon Abueva” at the #NationalMuseumBohol in Tagbilaran.

Follow this page for more features from the National Fine Arts Collection. The #NationalMuseumPH is open to the public for free. View the link for the 360 degrees virtual tour of the nine select galleries at the National Museum of Fine Arts: https://nmfa.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/

#OnThisDay #NapoleonAbueva #MuseumFromHome

Text and photo by NMP FAD