National Artist Larry Alcala: Visualizing Popular Philippine Culture
National Artist Larry Alcala is best known for his beloved “Slice of Life” and “Kalabog en Bosyo” cartoons, but did you know that he was crucial in shaping the field of advertising in our country, and was the key figure in establishing the Visual Communications course at the UP School of Fine Arts? Our latest exhibit, “NATIONAL ARTIST LARRY ALCALA: VISUALIZING POPULAR PHILIPPINE CULTURE” will explore this aspect. The exhibition will open on September 13, 4pm, at Fundacion Sansó.
“National Artist Larry Alcala (1926–2002) taught generations of Filipinos to think in pictures. A UP Fine Arts alumnus (BFA Painting, 1950, via a Manila Times scholarship), he returned to the University of the Philippines in 1951 and spent three decades shaping what would become the country’s modern visual communications field. He started as an instructor, worked his way up to Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor until he became founding Chairman of the Department of Visual Communications in 1978 – 1981.
As a newly appointed instructor and recent graduate of the College of Fine Arts, Larry Alcala noticed a growing trend among incoming students: a strong preference for the emerging discipline of visual communication over traditional forms such as painting and sculpture. Recognizing this shift in interest, Alcala proposed the creation of a new course to Fernando Amorsolo, who was then serving as the director of the College. Amorsolo approved the proposal and granted Alcala full autonomy to design and implement the course according to his vision.
Larry Alcala’s first challenge in launching the new course was recruiting qualified instructors. He reached out to his trusted colleagues in the advertising industry, urging them to join him in this academic endeavor. Moved by his persistence and vision, a few eventually agreed—leaving behind the comfort and stability of their advertising careers to take on the role of educators.
Alcala introduced the first college degree course on Commercial Design in the Philippines in 1953 and introduced the first 8mm film production of animated cartoons, as a Visual Communications course in 1972.
In the advertising industry, he is credited with the earliest use of cartoons in Philippine TV advertising, including campaigns for Darigold (1957) and Caltex (1965)—proof that wit and clarity could move both hearts and markets.
Beyond UP, Alcala built communities that endure: he helped form Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) in 1991, led the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (President, 1979–89; Adviser, 1989–2002), and was named ‘Dean of Filipino Cartoonists’ by the PBBY in 1997. From early strips like Islaw Palitaw (1946) and Kalabog en Bosyo (1947), to a lifetime of teaching, Alcala made the comic frame a mirror of Filipino life—and trained a profession to hold that mirror up with intelligence, humor, and care.”
See the exhibit “National Artist Larry Alcala: Visualizing Popular Philippine Culture” from September 13 to 27, 2025 at Fundacion Sansó. National Artist Larry Alcala’s works are under the I CArE (Initiative for the Continuation of Artist’s Estate) of Fundacion Sansó.
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