Text and images courtesy of Fundacion Sansó & Ricky Francisco.
To mark the occasion of Mr. Juvenal Sansó’s 91st birthday, Fundacion Sansó is launching La Definitiva Sansó: A Life Lived Thrice by eminent art historian and art critic Dr. Reuben Cañete. La Definitiva Sansó covers the entire body of work of Juvenal Sansó, the Spanish artist who claims the Philippines as his home, and who carries the distinction of being recognized by three countries for his stellar work in the visual arts through such awards as the Philippine Presidential Medal of Merit Awardee, the Spanish Distinguished Cross of Isabela, and the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. Among Sansó’s accomplishments is that he is one of the very few Filipino artists of his time to be collected by important museums abroad, which include: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Chicago Art Institut, Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the New York Public Library, Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris, among many others. His works are in all major local art museums.
What distinguishes La Definitiva Sansó from earlier books published about Sansó is the detailed and comprehensive chronology created by Dr. Cañete which situates Sansó’s art in the context of the four countries Sansó held his studios in, and the sweeping social changes that were happening during those times. Other than this, it is the only book which covers Sansó’s works after the 1980’s, of which there are many, including his Moderno series, Breton Houses series, and Abstracts. La Definitiva Sansó also walks readers through the minor works of Sansó such as the textile designs and the painted slides. The entire body of work of Sansó is represented in this 11.25 x 11.25 inches hardbound book with 234 pages with over 220 full color images of artworks and archival material published by Fundacion Sansó. For these reasons, La Definitiva Sansó is a must have for collectors of Sansó and lovers of Philippine art.
La Definitiva Sansó is also the last full manuscript of Dr. Reuben Cañete who sadly passed away in 2017, before the book was published. Dr. Cañete was the first curator of the UP Asian Center and was a recipient of the Leo Benesa Award for Art Criticism in 1996. He has also authored a number of books about artists, including Amadeo Y. Manalad: Telling Tadhana, Amadeo Manalad: Drawing a Saga, Classic Sansó, Sansó Moderno, The Global Paisano: Manuel Baldemor’s Folk Modernist Vision, and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: The Landscapes. In 2014, Professor Cañete received an Achievement Award from the National Research Council of the Philippines.” His book, Sacrificial Bodies was awarded in 2013 the Alfonso T. Ongpin Prize for Best Book on Art by the National Book Development Board. In 2015, he was elected UP Artist II in honor of his “outstanding productivity in the creative arts or in arts scholarship.”
La Definitiva Sansó: A Life Lived Thrice is available at Fundacion Sansó at the discounted introductory price of P3,500 until 5:00pm of December 15, 2020. After that, the book will be sold at P4,500. For inquiries, please contact Nicole at 8952 1568 or email fundacionSansó@gmail.com
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