José T. Joya

Who was José T. Joya?

José T. Joya was a Filipino abstract artist and a National Artist of the Philippines awardee.

Joya was a printmaker, mixed media artist, and a former dean of the University of the Philippines' College of Fine Arts. He pioneered abstract expressionism in the Philippines. His canvases were characterized by "dynamic spontaneity" and "quick gestures" of action painting. He is the creator of compositions that were described as "vigorous compositions" of heavy impastoes, bold brushstrokes, controlled dips, and diagonal swipes".Joya added the brilliant tropical colors. He was awarded a Fulbright-Smile-Mundt grant which enabled him to pursue a master's degree in Fine Arts in 1956-57

His works were strongly influenced by the tropical landscapes of the Philippine Islands. Among his masterpieces are the Nanking, the Granadean Arabesque and Biennial.