Pelagia mendoza biography examples

The history of art in the Philippines is etched with the names of great men such as Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, Ang Kiukok, Ben Cab (Benedicto Cabrera) and many more.

But behind the country’s rich and colorful art history, lies great works by women, too.

Pelagia mendoza biography examples

Here are some of the heroines of the Philippine art scene.

Pelagia Mendoza y Gotianquin 

Pelagia Gotianquin Mendoza was known as the first female sculptor of the Philippines. As a sculptor, she made statues of people and figures of animals and other subjects out of clay, stone, and marbles.

Her passion for sculpture began when she was 22 while studying Fine Arts at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura now known as the UP College of Fine Arts. She was the first female to be admitted to the institution.

She proved that she can excel in the male-oriented field of sculpture when she won first prize in sculpture for a wax head of Christopher Columbus at the Columbus Quadricentennial Art C