JUSTIN NUYDA

Feature Artist

Justin Nuyda (born 1944). An abstract painter, Justin Nuyda is often referred to as one of the pillars of Philippine Modern Art. He boasts a celebrated career that spans over five decades of prolific development, and better known for his Mindscape Series.

There is a theory that in every human being’s heart beats the rhythm
of home. Every heartbeat thumps to the tune of his roots. This explains why Justin Nuyda is always in constant search for mindscapes. He paints a picture of the sights and captures the sounds within a mind that is not lost, but simply in a quest. His abstractions are trembling in the brink of reality; from surreal to real, turbulent to placid, and barren to beautiful.

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Alongside art, Justin Nuyda is also a lepidopterist specializing in Philippine butterflies. Having started collecting butterflies at the age of seven, he has described over a hundred species and subspecies. This passion for jeweled insects and the terrain they thrive in has served as a major inspiration for his works over the past fifty years.

Nuyda received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas in 1966 and is among the early recipients of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Thirteen Artists Award (1972). He also co-founded the well-known Saturday Group of Artists, a formidable force in the Philippine art scene of the 60’s and 70’s. Luminary members include the likes of National Artists Jose Joya, BenCab, and Hernando R. Ocampo; Masters such as Onib Olmedo, Galo Ocampo, Eduardo Castrillo, and Araceli Dans; and art critics such as Dr. Rod Paras-Perez, and Alfredo Roces.