National Artist Abdulmari Imao (1936- 2014)
At the age of 78, National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao passed away. His was an unbelievable creative journey starting from his proletarian roots which, through the dint of hard work and creative passion for his art, flourished as he found his own creative voice and spirit.
He studied and spoke 12 dialects, and at one time was Commissioner of National Languages. He became fascinated with Philippine history, pursuing the provenance and eventually the pride of owning the table where Jose Rizal finished his historically iconic novel Noli Me Tangere
In his sculptures and in his paintings, he chose themes close to his heart and integral to the culture of Mindanao. The sarimanok or the mythical bird with fish figure which has its parallels in ancient Indian, Khmer and Indonesian culture; the sinuous patterns in his sculptures and paintings which are akin to architectural paintings and sculptures on houses, boats and buildings in many southeast Asian countries; the school of fish which he recalled from the days of his youth in their fishing village and the interest in the art of calligraphy popular in many countries extending even up to the Middle East. Interestingly, because these themes are popular not only in Southern Philippines but in large parts of Asia and Southeast Asia that have made scholars and art critics describe Dr. Imao as the most Asian if not the most international of Filipino National Artists.
Born in Siasi, Sulu, on January 14, 1936, from a Tausug family, the name Imao is said to have been a shortcut of halimaw, which reflected their occupation as warriors--particularly against colonial forces during the American and Japanese occupation. The inquisitive young Imao, however, grew up in peace with his humble and hard-working family in a fishing village. His affiliation with the sea would later show up in many of his future paintings and sculptures. He was a hard worker whether selling ginataan and other snacks in movie houses and working as a mason in road construction or as a stevedore in the pier.
From there he found an opportunity to pursue Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines and did not look back since. Dr. Imao is perhaps the most academic of National Artists. He graduated with a Fine Arts Degree from UP in 1959, where his teacher was National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. He continued his studies abroad, where he earned an MFA from the University of Kansas in 1962 as a Fulbright Scholar before pursuing further at the Rhode Island School of Design and Columbia University. His exposure to the Western world resulted in his artworks being a strong fusion of Western and Eastern culture. He utilized the strong influence of Braque and cubism to interpret Filipino and Southern Mindanao culture. Upon his return, he taught art at the Far Eastern University upon his return to the Philippines and among his awards are a Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) in 1968, the Presidential Medal of Merit in 2005 and the Order of National Artist in 2006.