Renowned Negrense visual artist Nunelucio “Nune” Alvarado, famous for immortalizing the struggles of seasonal sugarcane workers (sacadas) in his paintings, has been named one of ten new National Artists of the Philippines for 2025 in the field of visual arts.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared the 10 new National Artists through Proclamation No. 1414, Series of 2026, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and culture.
Alvarado’s wife, Rosalia Alvarado, said that their family was unofficially informed of the conferred distinction and is awaiting official confirmation.
She said her 76-year-old husband suffers from dementia and resides at Margaha Beach Resort in Sagay City.
Born on May 5, 1950, in Barangay Fabrica, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, Alvarado was nominated for the country’s highest artistic honor by his hometown.
He studied Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines-Diliman as a Kabayao-Ledesma scholar in 1969 and later studied Advertising at La Consolacion College School of Architecture and Fine Arts in Bacolod City.
Alvarado was a pivotal force in the regional art scene, co-founding Pamilya Pintura and the Black Artists of Asia in the 1980s. He also founded Pintor Kulapol and served as the Artistic Director of Syano Artlink.
Internationally recognized for his progressive depictions of marginalized sectors, his signature aesthetic features stark, hieratic figures reminiscent of ancient Egyptian art.
His extensive list of accolades includes the CCP Thirteen Artists Award, the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan, the Philip Morris ASEAN Arts Award Grand Prize in 1997 and 1999, the Most Outstanding Negrense Visual Artist in 2010, and the Garbo sa Bisaya Award.
Joining Alvarado in the 2025 roster of National Artists are Imelda Cajipe Endaya for Visual Arts, Nicanor Tiongson and Gregorio Brillantes for Literature, Gabriel Formoso for Architecture, Rafael “Nonoy” Froilan for Dance, Maria Beatriz “Patis” Tesoro for Design, Armando “Bing” Lao for Film and Broadcast Arts, Teodoro Hilado for Theater, and Alfredo S. Buenaventura for Music.*
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