Alcuaz in Later Years

Aside from exhibits at the Luz Gallery, Alcuaz’s works have been mounted at The Gallery of Manila Hyatt Hotel, the Museum of Philippine Art, the ABC Gallery and at The Manila Hotel. Abroad, his works were shown at the Hyatt Regency in Singapore and the Grayson Gallery in Chicago. In 1988, ALcuaz did a one-man exhibit at the Galerie Borkowski in Hannover, Germany.

In 2003, Alcuaz suffered chronic subdural hematoma. Although he recovered completely from the trauma, he put aside his brushes then and stopped painting altogether. In his later years, his daily routine was lounging around the suite at the hotel that had come be to his home for almost 40 years. After lunch, he would go on long walks, usually to visit his favorite churches and sites in Metro Manila such as Binondo, Ermita, San Sebastian, and Sta. Cruz. Sometimes his walks brought him as far as Makati. On special occasions such as on All Saints Day, he would walk all the way from his hotel in UN Avenue to the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina – a good three to four-hour walk – before walking all the way back home.

The habit of walking daily and observing little details was something that, according to Alcuaz himself, began during World War II when his father Mariano would take him to various sites of Old Manila. Christian encouraged his father in the 1990s to take up walking again not only for the exercise but for sightseeing purposes as well. They would walk together for four to five hours a day, a practice that remained with Alcuaz until his passing.

In 2005, the Ayala Museum put together a one-man retrospective of 200 of Alcuaz’s works from two major collections, namely the Benjamin Gayubar collection and the Eddie Chua collection.

In 2006, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz started working exclusively with Galerie Joaquin group for his exhibits and shows.

Through the years, Galerie Joaquin was able to host nine important one-man exhibitions, including a major retrospective at the Sapphire Ballroom at the Gateway Suites at the Araneta Center and a special anniversary show eponymously titled Federico Aguilar Alcuaz at Galerie Joaquin Singapore at the Regent Hotel at Cuscaden Road, Singapore.

Among these other memorable exhibits were The Barcelona Years (2008), Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: A Tribute (2009), Celebrating Aguilar Alcuaz (2011), Remembering Aguilar Alcuaz (2012), Essential Abstracts (2014), and National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (2016).

Black Fruits. White Clouds and Autumn Skies.

31.5 x 27.25 in | Oil on Canvas Board

Year 1974

In retrospect Federico Aguilar Alcuaz had much to be proud of. His works are included in the collection of some 20 museums and major cultural institutions in the world today. Among these establishments are the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid, the Gulvenkian Foundation Museum of London, the Museum of Modern Art of Warsaw, the Museum of Modern Art of Krakow, and the Philips Cultural Museum of the Netherlands.

Sotheby’s included his work at its auction of Southeast Asian paintings in April of 2007 in Singapore. This was followed by two of his abstract art pieces at the Christie’s auction in Hongkong held in May of 2007.

Sotheby’s allocated a special section of six pages in homage of Alcuaz’s 75th birthday in its September 2007 auction with all the six lots successfully sold at the action, three of them at record prices. Christie’s auction in November of 2007 included two works of the artist, a still life one and an artwork of three ladies.

Indeed, there is much that Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, National Artist, has accomplished and leaves a priceless legacy to Philippine art.

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Black Hat, Scarf and Artist’s Chair

34.5 x 28.75 in | Oil on Canvas Board

Year 1972

Jack M. Teotico Collection