Benedicto Cabrera
| Benedicto "Bencab" Cabrera | |
|---|---|
BenCab in New York City
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|
| Born |
Benedicto Reyes Cabrera April 10, 1942 Malabon, Rizal, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Education | University of the Philippines |
| Known for | Painting |
| Awards | National Artist of the Philippines |
Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (born April 10, 1942), better known as "BenCab", is a Filipino painter and was awarded National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts (Painting) in 2006. He has been noted as "arguably the best-selling painter of his generation of Filipino artists."
BenCab was born to Democrito Cabrera and Isabel Reyes in Malabon, Philippines on April 10, 1942. He was the youngest of nine children. BenCab's first exposure and discovery of the arts happened through his elder Brother Salvador, who was already an established artist during Bencab's childhood.
He went on to study at the University of the Philippines, where he explored different art visual forms - photography, draftsmanship, printmaking - while honing his chosen craft as a painter. He received his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in 1963.
BenCab met British journalist Caroline Kennedy in Manila in 1968, and married her in London in 1969. The couple decided to stay in London. They have three children. The eldest, Elisar, was born in 1971 and is now a film and web series producer, married to award-winning playwright and web series writer, Lisa Gifford, based in London; Their middle child, Mayumi, was born in Manila in 1973 and became a successful model both in London and Los Angeles. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her partner, John A. Fries and their two children, Ronan (2011) and Ione (2013). Their youngest, Jasmine was born in 1977 and currently lives and works with BenCab at the BenCab Museum in Baguio.
Bencab's first years as a painter in London "were not particularly easy", but his talents were immediately recognized. Over the next four decades, he established for himself a name of international importance, holding exhibitions from London to New York to Macau, and winning several major art awards in a career spanning four decades.
When BenCab returned to the Philippines in 1972, he was hailed as a Filipino pioneer of the arts and a significant influence among his peers. However, he returned to London once more in 1974, partly to get away from the tightening grip of Martial Law, which Ferdinand Marcos had declared in 1972. That event is said to have "marked the beginning of [BenCab]'s passionate involvement with social commentary and the topics of repression and freedom.". His Larawan series developed out of his nostalgia for the Philippines. He and Caroline used to scour local flea markets all over Europe looking for early maps and prints of the Philippines. This collection became the basis for his Larawan series.
In 1985, however, BenCab's 16-year marriage with Kennedy ended in divorce, and he eventually decided to come home to the Philippines.
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