Blanco, a resident of Bali, built his studio on top of a mountain overlooking the Campuan River. This flamboyant building, a unique blend of Balinese architecture imbued with the spirit of his native Spain, houses an interesting collection of works drawn from different periods of his long career. During his life it was visited daily by hundreds of people from all over the world. The artist, full of "Catalan charisma," earned himself the sobriquet "The Fabulous Blanco," an expression that mirrored his talent for creativity

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 one of the most famous foreign artists to make Bali his home. He was recognized in both Indonesia and abroad, receiving numerous 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 cremation 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.

Source:
Website of the artist

Antonio Maria Blanco (15 September 1911 - 10 December 1999) was a painter of Spanish and American descent.

Antonio was born in the Ermita district of Manila, Philippines. He initially lived and worked in Florida and California, United States, until he became interested in exploring the islands of the Pacific Ocean that had been a source of inspiration for painters such as Paul Gauguin, José Miguel Covarrubias and others before him. He planned to go to Tahiti, but fate brought him to Hawaii, Japan and Cambodia, where he was a guest of honor of Prince Norodom Sihanouk.

From Cambodia he went to Bali in 1952 and married a traditional Balinese dancer named Ni Ronji in 1953. Bali gave Antonio important elements that he needed to develop his artistic gifts: the beautiful scenery, the dreamlike atmosphere of the environment and the pervasive art and great love.

Settled in Bali, Antonio began to realize his dreams in life and work. He built a house and museum in Ubud, which contains many of his paintings.

The land on which the construction was erected was given to Antonio by the King of Ubud Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati. Women are the focal point of his paintings and one could say that Antonio was a painter of the eternal feminine and his style is romantic-expressive and dreamy.

Blanco received numerous awards, including the Tiffany Fellowship (special award from The Society of Honolulu Artists), Chevalier du Sahametrai of Cambodia, the Society of Painters of Fine Art Quality of President Sukarno and the Prize of the Art Critique in Spain. Antonio was also awarded the order of Cruz de Caballero from the King of Spain Juan Carlos I, giving him the title of "Don" in front of his name.

Many collectors have appreciated his paintings, including the actress Ingrid Bergman, Mexican telenovela queen Thalia (Ariadna Thalia Sodi Miranda), Sukarno (the first President of Indonesia), Suharto (the second presindet of Indonesia), the former Indonesian Vice President Adam Malik, Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Michael Jackson and many more.

The Blanco Renaissance Museum, Antonio's lifetime dream, was opened on December 28, 1998 at his residence in a beautiful environment, where more than 300 works of Antonio are exposed in chronological order to show his artistic development. The sumptuous and impressive building offers a glimpse of the theatrical character of the artist. He emulated the flamboyance of Dali, to whom he has been compared.

Don Antonio Maria Blanco died on December 10, 1999 in Denpasar, Bali, from heart and kidney disease, survived by his wife and four children: Cempaka, Mario, Orchid and Mahadewi. Since Antonio converted to Hinduism, he had a cremation ceremony Balinese style in Ubud, finished on 28 December 1999.

Source:
"Antonio Maria Blanco", Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Blanco (Accessed 9/10/2014

Antonio Blanco was born in Manila to Catalonian parents who had come to the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. He was educated at the American Central School in Manila and went on to study at the National Academy of Art in New York under Sidney Dickinson. Dickinson's style would influence Blanco's portraits of the human form, in particular, his preference for painting the nude, female body.

Blanco traveled extensively abroad before he finally settled in Bali in 1952. There he set up a studio in Campuan. At his studio in Campuan he would go on to create his most famous paintings of the beautiful women of Bali. Shortly after his death in 1999 his studio in Campuan was turned into a museum commemorating Antonio Blanco's artwork, as well as the Balinese culture he adored.

Among the awards Blanco received are the Tiffany Fellowship from the United States, New York Cities Cannon Prize, and the Honorable Mention at the Honolulu Academy of Art. Blanco was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from the National College in Windsor, Canada.

Well-known works by Blanco include the lithograph The Virgin of Bali, and paintings such as My Castle of Dreams (1962), The Cinderella of Bali (1964), Eve's Apple is Still Intact (1967), and Odalisque (1969).

Source:
Jeff Blackwell for Tobin Reese Fine Art

Blanco Antonio was born in Manila, The Philippines in 1911, and died in Bali, Indonesia in 1999. Blanco Antonio lived in Ubud, Bali from 1952 until his death in 1999. He studied at the Fine Arts Academy in New York, and was later professionally based in Florida and California.

Blanco has been honored by several international art organizations. Antonio's awards include the Tiffany Fellowship, New York; La Cofradia del Arrios, Spain; and Chevalier du Sahanetrei from Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.