Fundacion Sansó's museum director, Mr. Ricky Francisco, recounts the past 80 years of Mr. Juvenal Sansó's journey as an artist, the evolution of his style, and the relevance of his art in today's society.

Words Chariza Crudo
Photography Jennefer Sneddon
June 28, 2024

As the days draw near to this year's Modern and Contemporary Art Festival (MoCAF), museum director Mr. Ricky Francisco eagerly prepares for Fundacion Sansó's special exhibition that will take us through the eight decades of Mr. Juvenal Sansó's art.

Sansó has been a renowned figure in the Filipino and Spanish art scene, receiving prestigious awards such as the Presidential Medal of Merit Honor, Knight of Arts and Letters in France, and a recipient of the Cross of Isabela by the king of Spain. But beyond these impressive titles, we want a deeper, more personal connection with the painter Sansó through the help of his aide, Francisco.

Francisco introduces Sansó as "a Spanish citizen politically, a Filipino by heart." The visual artist has been in the Philippines since 1932 and knows how to speak our language and understand some dialects. His 80 years of experience is truly remarkable and may seem intimidating for some, but Sansó's consistency as an artist is what makes him great.

"He's always seeking out opportunities [to meet with people], but at the same time, his day is structured. He wakes up at a particular hour in the morning, works for 2-3 hours, has brunch, meets people, does all his social work, returns at 5:00 pm, and does his artwork until 10:00 pm. Regularly from 1948 until 2012," he fondly recalls.

Like many artists, Sansó's works are all a visual translation of his life experience. Francisco retells how the artist almost died twice during his teenage years as a victim of war. Going through this tragedy, Sansó found refuge in doing art. "He used his art to get over the trauma, and that is why we see the journey of art of Mr. Sanso is also a deeply personal one. It is a journey from despair to triumph," Francisco says.

But what sets him apart is his ability to "capture that tension between beauty and something as frightening as despair." For Francisco, the strength of Sansó's art lies in the beauty and complexity of nature– how it destroys but mostly heals.

"There's a particular quote that a French critic said about Sansó's works, particularly his Brittanyscapes. He said that when you look at Sansó's Brittany, it feels like you're the first person to see a new world created; it's like you're the only person," Francisco quotes, adding that there are no people in most of his works which adds to this illusion.

When you see the flowers in Sansó's paintings, your eyes immediately recognize their vibrance and authenticity. Yet, Francisco points out that a closer look will reveal that there is "no particular flower there, just his imagination and interpretation of a flower."

Despite the persistence of florals in his art, there is an anecdote cited by Francisco that Sansó never liked flowers. His teacher challenged him to paint something simple, like a flower. This prompted him to paint his first flower: a skull surrounded by flowers with grotesque people's faces.

"He was able to interpret all of his pain into something as mundane as a flower. He was able to transform this despair into something beautiful. The etchings really capture that tension between beauty and something as frightening as despair," Francisco says.

All artists can create art, but only great artists can produce timeless art. For Francisco, the recurrence of ideas such as "triumph over despair and persistence despite the fragility of it" in Sansó's works makes them withstand the test of time.

In the upcoming MoCAF, Fundacion Sansó prepared a special exhibition showcasing the versatility of Sansó's art through time– from florals and landscapes to grotesqueries and abstracts.