Antonio Blanco, Filipino (1912 - 1999)
Antonio Maria Blanco, born on 15 September 1911 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of the most emblematic artists to have left his mark on the history of Bali. Descended from Spanish parents, Blanco claimed a spiritual and geographical link with Surrealist masters such as Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró. This Iberian heritage nurtured his style, but it was on the island of Bali, his ultimate refuge, that he truly found his terrain of expression and blossomed his art.
From an early age, Antonio Blanco was interested in the arts. At the American Central School in Manila, he developed a marked taste for the plastic arts and literature, abandoning science subjects. A gifted linguist, he mastered six languages: Spanish, French, English, Tagalog, Indonesian and a little Balinese. After completing his secondary education, he continued his artistic training at the National Academy of Design in New York, under the guidance of Sidney Dickinson. He soon concentrated on the human form, particularly fascinated by feminine beauty, a theme that would influence his entire career.
After his studies in New York, Blanco undertook a series of trips, notably to Hawaii and Florida, before finally settling in Bali in 1952. Captivated by the island's beauty and spirituality, he settled there thanks to the King of Ubud, who offered him a plot of land in Campuhan, at the confluence of two sacred rivers. There he built his studio and home, a place of refuge and inspiration. Shortly after his arrival, Blanco married Ni Ronji, a famous Balinese dancer, who became his muse. Together they started a family and had four children: Tjempaka, Mario, Orchid and Maha Devi.
Blanco is best known for his portraits of Balinese women, often topless, in a style that combines romanticism, impressionism and a touch of eroticism. Fascinated by the female body, he succeeded in capturing the sensuality and mystical beauty of his subjects, while fusing the Western influence of his upbringing with Balinese culture. His fluid, expressive brushstrokes reflected both his admiration for the female form and his attachment to the spiritual culture of the island.
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His eccentricity, like his talent, earned him rapid recognition. Blanco became a major figure in Indonesian artistic society, his works attracting the attention of influential collectors. His creations crossed borders, enabling him to establish himself as a renowned artist both in Indonesia and internationally.
Although he travelled to the United States to meet new collectors, Bali remained the heart of his work and his life. He lived there in seclusion, surrounded by lush gardens and green rice paddies, until his death in 1999.
His son Mario Blanco, also a painter, has since carried on his father's legacy by transforming their home-studio into a museum. The Blanco Renaissance Museum in Ubud now exhibits over 300 of the artist's works, tracing his artistic development. Antonio Blanco left behind a unique pictorial universe, imbued with sensuality, spirituality and timeless beauty. His work, at once deeply personal and universal, continues to fascinate generations of admirers around the world, bearing witness to the incredible fusion of East and West that he was able to create.
