Antonio Blanco Museum
Antonio Blanco was born on September
15, 1911, in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Both of his parents were
Spanish, a fact that Blanco believed linked him geographically and spiritually
to Miro and Salvador Dali. His father settled in Manila during the Spanish –
American War, where he attained prominence as a physician. Blanco was educated
at the American Central School in Manila. During his high school years he loved
the arts, literature and language classes but struggled in scientific subjects.
It is no wonder that he spoke six languages – Spanish, French, English,
Tagalog, Indonesian and a bit of Balinese. After completing high school in
Manila, Blanco studied at the National Academy of Art in New York under Sidney
Dickinson.
During those early formative years,
Blanco concentrated on the human form, fascinated by the female body more than
any other subject matter. To further his studies and ignite his traveling
spirit, he traveled extensively throughout the world before he finally landed
in Bali in 1952.The King of Ubud gave Blanco a piece of land to set up his home
and studio in Campuan, Ubud, at the confluence of two sacred rivers. Blanco and
his Balinese wife, the celebrated dancer Ni Ronji, lived in their mountain
retreat, barely leaving it for the world outside. Following a brief trip to the
United States, where Blanco acquired many new collectors, the couple never left
their fantasy home again. Living in serene surroundings with his four children,
Tjempaka, Mario, Orchid and Maha Devi, Bali became Blanco’s center. He was
fascinated by the island and completely captivated by its charm.
Blanco lived and worked in his magical
hilltop home until his death in 1999, feverishly creating his fantasy portraits
of beautiful women. Surrounded by lush gardens, rice fields and with a Banyan
tree standing over his family’s temple, Antonio Blanco proceeded to create a
new reality for himself. His artistic outpourings of this isolated world became
much sought after by eager art lovers, collectors and promoters. Within a few
years, Blanco became the most famous foreign artist to make Bali his home. He
was recognized in both Indonesia and abroad, receiving numerous awards and
commanding huge prizes at international auctions. By the end of his life,
Blanco had begun building his museum at his studio in Campuan. Dramatically, he
died just before its inauguration. His funeral was marked by a very important
in Ubud. It was Blanco’s dream to turn his studio-mansion into a museum. His
son, Mario, fulfilled this dream by following his path to become a painter. The
Blanco Renaissance Museum is now open to the public, exposing both the
maestro’s and Mario’s art works.
The museum is open to public from 9am
to 5pm daily including Sunday and public holidays.
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