The coffee table book Sansó: Prized and Personal showcases private art collections focusing on the works of Juvenal Sansó.

By Art+ Magazine Team
Photo courtesy of Fundacion Sansó
October 25, 2025

While cataloguing works by renowned artist Juvenal Sansó for Fundacion Sansó in 2014, it became evident that many of his most important pieces were hidden from public view. One such piece, “The Sorcerer,” which won the grand prize in the 1951 Art Association of the Philippines annual art competition, was quickly purchased after its debut and has remained in private hands since.

*Sanso Prized & Personal Book Cover Spread*

Some of the most significant works by Filipino artists are often tucked away in private collections, inaccessible to the broader public. Determined to change that, the team at Fundacion Sansó launched an ambitious project—one that would require the cooperation of collectors, and culminate in an exhibition series and coffee table book that both celebrate and preserve Sansó’s art.

“As it is my duty to educate the public on the legacy of Mr. Sansó, I knew that I had to find a way to make these works public, as it is a good way to see the artistic genius of Mr. Sansó. So I conceptualized Sansó: Prized and Personal—an exhibition cycle wherein the works would be documented and then published as a book to ensure that people will get to see and understand the legacy of Mr. Sansó,” said Fundacion Sansó Museum Director Ricky Francisco.

Creating Sansó: Prized and Personal was a meticulous, multi-year effort. The Fundacion Sansó team reached out to collectors and secured over 600 works for documentation and exhibition. These pieces ranged from Sanso’s student works to paintings from his studios in Iran and Madrid, showing a side of the artist that even seasoned collectors hadn’t seen. The exhibition cycle lasted three years.

Serendipitous discoveries enriched the project further. These included rare photographs from Sansó’s 25th year retrospective at the CCP and previously unpublished interviews by authors Ambeth Ocampo and Cid Reyes. These finds allowed the team to tell a fuller, more intimate story of the artist.

*Chapter Opener - Marlon & Marissa Sanchez*

These were put together in a book that would serve as a good resource for collectors, the academe, and those interested in the life and works of Sansó.

Considerations for choosing the featured collectors included collections that were not very exposed to the public and a focus on everyday collectors—contrary to the assumption that only the wealthy can collect fine art. Francisco chose “collectors who really knew Sansó or had a wonderful story on why they collected works by Mr. Sansó.

*Chapter Opener - Thelma Sioson San Juan*

As a coffee table book, Sansó: Prized and Personal is as much a visual experience as it is an archival one. Great care was taken in its design to ensure that the artworks shine—with high-quality photography capturing every color, brushstroke, and subtle nuance. Layouts were crafted to accommodate both horizontal and vertical pieces, while maintaining an elegant, readable format.

Book designer Tanya Mallillin stated, “The design is very much centered around Sansó; his work is the heart of the book. The layout is intentionally clean and straightforward, allowing the artwork to stand out. At the same time, we made sure each section reflects the individual collectors as well, especially in the way the interviews and selections are presented.

*Chapter Spread - Raffy Cuevas & Rey Gonzalez*

“The goal was to make the book feel personal, like you're stepping into an ongoing conversation about Sansó with collectors who knew him, and even with the artist himself. We included portraits of Sansó, bits of his memorabilia, and photos with his writings. These small details bring a sense of intimacy to the book, showing Sansó not just through his art, but through the stories, memories, and moments that shaped him.

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