Artist Romulo Olazo dies at age 81

(Updated 11:29 a.m., Aug. 25) Filipino abstract painter Romulo Olazo, 81, passed away Tuesday morning due to multiple organ failure.

 

The news was confirmed to GMA News Online by his youngest daughter, Jill.

Olazo was born on July 21, 1934 and was raised in Balayan, Batangas.

 

He studied fine arts at the University of Santo Tomas and had as professors well-known artists Victorio Edades and Diosdado Lorenzo.

 

Olazo spent many years illustrating for comics and designing for advertising agencies.

 

He is famous in the Philippine art scene for his Diaphanous series, which show transparent-like abstract forms.

Art critic Alice G. Guillermo, writing in the book entitled "Romulo Olazo," says: "The Diaphanous and Permutation Series launched Filipino artist Romulo Olazo into an abstractionist whose name resonates not only in our country but also all over the world. Olazo is also distinguished in the Philippines as the artist who segued from printmaking to painting using comparative and related processes."

 

A recipient of the Thirteen Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Olazo has held several one-man and group exhibits here and abroad.

 

He is survived by his wife Patricia, and children Noelle Nieves, Jonathan Emmanuel, and Joanne Jill.

The wake will start Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Chapel 10, Heritage Park in Taguig. Interment will be on Sunday. —Karen Galarpe/JJ, GMA News