RODRIGUEZ Sr, Manuel

Manuel Antonio Rodriguez Sr. was born in Cebu City in 1912. He attended the University of the Philippines, School of Fine Arts, where he was mentored by Philippine artists Toribio Herrera, Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo,Fabian de la Rosa, and Ramon Peralta.

Establishing printmaking in the country, essentially a process that involves printing in the creation of artworks, popular derivatives of which would include etchings, lithographs and woodcuts, he was heavily criticized for persisting in an art form that was already considered “dead” by others. He shared what he knew with younger artists back in the Philippines (particularly at the Philippine Women’s University and the Contemporary Arts Gallery in Manila), conducting workshops among them, improvising machines, and developing techniques, thus reviving the interest in and pioneering the phenomenal growth of printmaking in the country.

In 1968, he founded the Philippine Association of Printmakers. His prints were the first ones done by a Filipino to be part of international biennial exhibitions abroad. He eventually received numerous accolades for his contributions to the field and to the national consciousness, and became recognized as the “Father of Philippine Printmaking.”

Honors and Awards

Founder of Interarts Multimedia Foundation for the Arts

Founder of the Philippine Association of Printmakers

First Filipino artist and printmaker to represent the Philippines in International Biennial Exhibitions

2007-Presidential Merit Award- For his contribution to the visual arts

1991- University of the Philippines Alumni Association of New York Achievement Award

1998- Bruna P. Seril Advancement of Philippine Cultural Award

1979- Patnubay ng Kalingan Award

1975- Lingkod Bayan Award

1967- National Heritage Award, Philippines

19630 Honorary Professorship, University of Florence, Italy

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