Antonio Maria Blanco
Biography1912 - 1999
About the artist
Antonio Maria Blanco was a visual artist from Manila in the Philippines, where he received his high school education at an American school. He developed a passion for the arts, literature and languages, eventually mastering six languages, at a relatively young age. Blanco eventually went on to study at the National Academy of Art in New York, studying the human form and especially the female body.
After his studies, Blanco wanted to go to Tahiti, for Gaugain had found inspiration there, but went to Cambodia, Japan and Hawaii instead. In 1952, Blanco ended up in Bali, where he was granted a piece of land by the King of Ubud upon which he built a house that currently functions as a museum. He met his wife Ni Ronji, a traditional Balinese dancer, in Bali in 1953, where he married her. He would never permanently leave Bali again, finding an abundance of inspiration in the beauty of the landscape and the people.
Blanco mainly depicted the female figure in a dreamy and romantic manner during his life, leading him to win multiple prestigious prizes. Many celebrities and royalties have collected his works, such as Sukarno, Michael Jackson and countless others. The Blanco Renaissance Museum, his former house, was opened in 1998, one year prior to his death, housing over 300 of his works. Blanco passed away in 1999 in Denpasar, Bali.
After his studies, Blanco wanted to go to Tahiti, for Gaugain had found inspiration there, but went to Cambodia, Japan and Hawaii instead. In 1952, Blanco ended up in Bali, where he was granted a piece of land by the King of Ubud upon which he built a house that currently functions as a museum. He met his wife Ni Ronji, a traditional Balinese dancer, in Bali in 1953, where he married her. He would never permanently leave Bali again, finding an abundance of inspiration in the beauty of the landscape and the people.
Blanco mainly depicted the female figure in a dreamy and romantic manner during his life, leading him to win multiple prestigious prizes. Many celebrities and royalties have collected his works, such as Sukarno, Michael Jackson and countless others. The Blanco Renaissance Museum, his former house, was opened in 1998, one year prior to his death, housing over 300 of his works. Blanco passed away in 1999 in Denpasar, Bali.
