“As Dawn Breaks”: Welcoming Home One of the Masters of Philippine Art – Juan “Magoo” Valencia

In the early eighties (1980s), a group of gentlemen and several ladies would regularly get together on weekends to paint together, share the latest stories, talk about current trends and techniques in the art scene.

Little did the world suspect that this motely group of people called the Saturday Group of Artists headed by a goateed gentle person by the name of Cesar F. Legaspi would rock the Philippine art scene. The group comprised what would become the who’s who in the art firmament. Cesar Legaspi (National Artist), Ang Kiukok (National Artist), BenCab (National Artist), Juvenal Sanso (Presidential Medal of Merit), Malang, Onib Olmedo, Romulo Olazo, Ephraim Samson were among the stellar all-star cast of this gathering.  Included in this group of technically adept and exciting visual artists was an advertising executive who was himself very good at watercolor named Juan “Magoo” Valencia. Magoo Valencia literally lived, breathed and painted with the best of the very best of Philippine masters.

Valencia was a watercolor instructor at the Ayala Museum for 3 years and worked as an Art Director for over 30 years at several advertising agencies before deciding to become a full-time artist. After he went full time into the arts, he honed his technique even further, while working as a portrait and caricature artist at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in the United States.

The scope of Magoo Valencia’s work is an awareness of emotions which nature, his biggest muse, inspires in him. In his quest at interpreting his beloved subject, he entices the viewer to enter his landscapes and be part of the scene thereby experiencing the quietude and tranquility he himself experiences.

Valencia, who admits to being strongly influenced by Vicente Manansala (National Artist), hopes to underscore through his art the importance of environmental soundness. He believes that admiration for nature is inherent or should be inherent in us all, although sadly it tends to get subdued by our busy consumer-oriented lifestyles. With this current exhibit of his latest works, Valencia in “As Dawn Breaks” hopes to inspire his viewers to engage with one’s surrounding and remember how to appreciate nature. It is also a homecoming of sorts for this master who is now based in the United States of America.

Nature, to Valencia, is a quasi-religious experience with one’s own Higher Being and the Universe strongly put in focus. While investigating nature through his art, Valencia ends up understanding himself even better and reflecting on his role in life and the purpose of his own being.

Valencia was named Artist of the Year by the Torrance Art Guild in 2008 and 2009. He is a Fine Arts graduate of the University of the Philippines and was one of the founding fathers of the Philippine Watercolor Society. He also became Vice President of the most prestigious art club in the Philippines, The Saturday Group of Artists.

For inquiries, please call 09778398971 or 09989937963 or email info@artloungemanila.com. Follow us on our social media accounts @artloungemanila on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

For updates on our upcoming shows, log on to https://artloungemanila.com.