OAAW Woman Nature Catalog

Fil Delacruz
For the past 50 years, printmaker and painter Fil Delacruz has been making his mark in the Philippine art scene by
morphing his muses as an ever-evolving entity that showcases both the beauty and mystery of a Filipina. A woman
represents many things in his art. She is his philosophical other, his inspirer, like the ethnic woman he depicted in many
of his award-winning etchings in the 80’s, an ethnic beauty turned into a goddess in a show entitled “Bulawan” (Gold)
at Galerie Y. In his lithographic show entitled “Dilim at Liwanag” at the Drawing Room, his muses represent the beauty
and sepulchral Madonna, adorned by the symbols of death and temptations. She is mother earth, color-wrapped
nymphs behind lush landscapes in a show entitled “Samba” at the Crucible Gallery. Through the years, Delacruz has
called the women in his artworks several names: diwata (goddess), mother earth, wood nymph, universal woman,
maskara (mask) and subconscious other. His art continues to grow and explore new ways of expression.
He has attended art workshops in Paris, France and conducted series of printmaking workshops all over the
Philippines. He has exhibited in various prominent cities including Guanzou, China; Essen, Germany; Gerona, Spain;
Hong Kong; Bratislava, Czechoslovakia; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France and New York, USA. He has taught at the
Philippine High School for the Arts in Los Baños, the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts and the
University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design. He was the President of the Philippine Association of
Printmakers from 1990 to 2000. He also served as President of Lakansining ng Bulakan.
Delacruz is a Thirteen Artists Awardee of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1992, Outstanding Bulakenyo in the
field of arts in 1982, and Outstanding Citizen of Muntinlupa in the field of arts in 1999. He was awarded the “Parangal
Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan” from the City of Manila in 2007. He was also a recipient of the Distinguised
Thomasian Alumni in 2019 and Outstanding Atelier Alumni Honours in 2023.
He resides in his Art Studio/Gallery at Bahaysining, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
Fil Delacruz studied at the University of Santo Tomas, major in Advertising
Arts. He is a consistent winner in national art competitions and a recipient
of the Benavides Award for Outstanding Achievement in 1973.
His first solo show of mezzotint prints was at the Hiraya Gallery in 1982.
Since then, he has held more than 30 exhibits in major cities in the
Philippines and around the world.
His art is rich in indigenous symbols and ethnic imagery. He is a consistent
winner of the Art Association of the Philippines’ (AAP) annual competition.
His work “Thanatopsis” won first prize at the AAP competition in 1981,
and this was followed by his winning the grand prize for two consecutive
years: “Transmogrification” in 1982 and “Goddess of the South” in 1983.
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