ABOUT THE WORK

Tam Austria's artistic ventures began early in his life when he trained under the artistic helms of Carlos "Botong" Francisco. Like his mentor, Austria is a painter of the local, the native, and the natural. In an interview, the artist referred to himself as a "naturalist." Austria further expounded that, to a great extent, his art was influenced by the community he considered his home. "Community, I think, played a greater role than what I learned in college. Because within the community, artists can find the spirit of encouragement, and they can learn how to enhance human interest," Austria explained. Art critic Alice Guillermo wrote: "Indeed, one can say that Austria is a true descendant of his townmate, the National Artist Carlos Francisco, known for his amazing natural and intuitive painting skills. Austria's paintings in oil on canvas are marked by a spontaneous linear energy, which possesses a narrative as its own, which in combination with color, is powered with a true creative energy." Austria's oil paintings of countryside scenes depicting its idyllic living and its ordinary folks are intricately delineated and aesthetically engaging to the viewer's eye. His sharp sense of composition combined with his masterful handling of figures and colors are established in his meticulous attention to the smallest detail and virtuosity in figuration and the dynamics of realism. Austria obtained his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas in 1954. He received the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award in 1970. During the same year, he held his first exhibition at Marcel's Gallery of Fine Arts in Oakland, California, and became the representative of the Filipino community at the International Art Festival in Berkeley, California. This was followed by exhibitions in San Francisco, California, as well as the Hidalgo Gallery in Makati (1972), Hyatt Regency (1975), and Sining Kamalig (1976). In 1982, he reached a high point in his professional painting career when he became one of the five finalists of the 1983 Mobil Art Awards.