Virgilio “Pandy” Aviado is considered 1 of 10 top printmakers of the world. He has handled the finest prints in the country with artists such as Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Cesar Legaspi, Fernando Zobel, and Jose Joya to name a few.

Beyond traditional forms of printing, Pandy Aviado promotes new techniques and processes of printing making the art of printmaking more accessible to younger artists.

He began his art journey under the tutelage of Araceli Dans in a summer art class he joined when he was in high school. Under Araceli Dans was when he was introduced to Manuel Rodriguez who would leave a great and lasting influence on him. He attended weekly lessons with Manuel Rodriguez and studied at the University of Sto. Tomas and Philippine’s Women University to continue learning from the father of Philippine Contemporary Printmaking.

Virgilio “Pandy” Aviado (b. 1944) is one of the Philippines’ leading visual artists and renowned figure of fine printmaking. He dedicates his time to mentoring young practitioners and advocates for the development of the art of fine print. He was president of the Art Association of the Philippines and director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Visual Arts Coordinating Center which expanded his reach to advocate Philippine contemporary art at a global scale, and set permanent workshops across the country.

He had his first solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery (1967) which gained widespread acclaim, and secured his ticket to a study grant from art patron Fernando Zobel. From 1969 to 1976, he trained and worked with master printmakers in Madrid and Paris. Aviado was also a painter at the Taller DOJ and printed etchings of modern Spanish artists. He then moved to Paris to learn at Le Plannage and the Edition Empreinte. He held exhibitions in Europe, the United States, and Asia, and won multiple awards. Two landmark exhibitions were dedicated to him, including the Autoretrato: Selected Graphic Works, 1950-1990 at the Ateneo Art Gallery in 2004, and the Graven Images: 1964-2014 at the Ayala Museum in 2014.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

 VIRGILIO “PANDY” AVIADO (b.1944) earned his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts at the Philippine Women’s University – Philippine College of  Music and Fine Arts (PWU-CMFA). While at the University, he began specialized Training in printmaking at the Contemporary Graphic Arts Workshop under Manuel Rodriguez Sr. He also completed graduate units in art education at the Ateneo de Manila. As a student, Aviado won major art competitions such as the Shell National Student’s Art Competition (1964) and the Art Association of the Philippines annual art competition (1966). He was also among 13 Artist awardees in 1970, an award given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to promising young artists.

He held his first solo exhibition at the Luz Gallery in 1967 and represented the Philippines at the Sao Paolo Biennial in the same year. Aviado has since participated in several international art events among them the India Triennial in New Delhi (1968), The Paris Biennial (1969), and the Havana Biennial (1991, with sculptor Junyee). He also participated in Philippine exhibitions held in Australia, Korea, Canada, Chile, Amsterdam and Japan.

Aviado has always showed a strong preference for the graphic style of printmaking. After training under Rodriguez, he pursued further studies in this medium at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain (1969 to 1971) and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris (1974). He has mastered different printmaking techniques – from woodcut to color etching. His creative pursuits also led Aviado to explore new materials, particularly those of indigenous origin. He was among the first group of local artist that promoted the production and use of handmade paper.

Aviado is also an experienced art administrator. He served as President of the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) and the Philippine Association of Printmakers (PAP). He was Director of the Coordinating Center for the Visual Arts at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCVA-CCP, 1991 to 1992) and was elected head of the Committee on Visual Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (CVA-NCCA, 1995 to 1997).

 Aviado has held more than 50 solo exhibitions. He is also involved in animation and experimental firms.

He has been awarded the Araw ng Maynia Award trice.

 In 2016, the Ateneo de Manila University conferred him the “Tanglaw ng Lahi “Award for his active role in the Printmaking Movement in the Asia.