National Artist Series 

Napoleon "Billy" Veloso Abueva 

(26 January 1930 – 16 February 2018) 

The BSP remembers the birth anniversary of National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva on this day, 26 January. In 1976, he became the youngest recipient of the title National Artist and is considered the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture.  

Abueva utilized almost all kinds of materials available to him from hardwoods, such as molave, narra, kamagong and acacia including the softer langka wood, ipil, palm wood and bamboo to adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral, and brass.  Some of his famous works are the Sunburst (Manila Peninsula Hotel), The Transfiguration (Eternal Gardens, Balintawak), Gateway (U.P. Avenue) and the marble sculptures at the base of the cross of the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Mt. Samat, Bataan). 

In the BSP collection, Abueva’s sculpture “Carabao Love,” features two carabaos and a calf leisurely wading and cooling off in water. His childhood memories of life in Bohol were realized in his recurring fascination with the carabao, the workhorse of the Filipino farmer.  As a child, he would create carabao sculptures in clay. In his later years, he would keep returning to this subject rendering them in wood, metal, and stone.   

To know more about the BSP Collection, please visit us at www.bsp.gov.ph/pages/aboutthebank/facilities/BSPMuseum.aspx. 

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