Purita Villanueva Kalaw-Ledesma (February 2, 1914 – April 29, 2005) was a writer and art critic and founder of the Art Association of the Philippines in 1948.
Early life Purita Villanueva Kalaw-Ladesma was born in Manila on February 2, 1914, to government official Teodoro M. Kalaw, Sr. (1884-1940), who at the time served as representative from Batangas, and journalist and beauty queen, Purificacion "Pura" Villanueva-Kalaw (1886-1954). Her mother Pura was a prominent writer and suffragist. Purita's sister Maria V. Kalaw-Katigbak became a senator, as did their sister-in-law Eva R. Estrada-Kalaw. Purita Kalaw studied fine arts at the University of the Philippines and pursued further studies in art and design at the University of Michigan.Rosalinda L. Orosa, "Remembering Purita" Philippine Star (May 4, 2005). She held two master's degrees, one in education and one in art education, the latter completed when she was 72 years old.Anne Marie Ozaeta, "Purita Kalaw Ledesma: An Accidental Writer" Philippine Star (January 27, 2014).
Career In 1948, Purita V. Kalaw-Ledesma founded the Art Association of the PhilippinesEloisa May P. Hernandez, "The American and Contemporary Traditions in Philippine Visual Arts" Republic of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (April 15, 2015). and became president of the organization. Kalaw Ledesma also managed the family real estate company, L. P. Kalaw, Inc.,Rowena C. Burgos, "Purita Kalaw-Ledesma, the woman behind Philippine visual arts" Philippine Daily Inquirer (January 31, 2010). and attended a conference in Boston in that capacity in 1960."Realty Course Holds World Wide Interest" Bristol Daily Courier (April 18, 1960): 22. via Newspapers.com
Books by Kalaw Ledesma include The Struggle for Philippine Art (1974, with Amadis Maria Guerrero); Edades: National Artist (1979, with Amadis Maria Guerrero, about Victorio Edades); The Biggest Little Room (1987, about the Philippine Art Gallery); and And Life Goes On (1994, an autobiography).Purita Kalaw Ledesma and Amadis Maria Guerrero, The Struggle for Philippine Art (Ledesma 1974).Purita Kalaw Ledesma and Amadis Maria Guerrero, Edades: National Artist (Filipinas Foundation 1979).Purita Kalaw Ledesma with Jaime C. Laya, And Life Goes On (P. Kalaw-Ledesma 1994). Her 1955 essay "A Critical Analysis of Modern Painting in the Philippines Today" is still considered an important text on the subject.Anna Gamboa, "Notes from Purita" Adobo Magazine (February 15, 2016). She also published a cookbook, Family Recipes, in the 1980s.Angelo Comsti, The Filipino Family Cookbook (Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd 2014): 42.
Personal life and legacy Purita V. Kalaw married Rafael Ledesma.Alex Castro, "1908, Queen of the Orient, Pura Garcia Villanueva, part 2" Manila Carnivals 1908-1939: A Pictorial History of the "Greatest Annual Event in the Orient" (August 12, 2008). They had four daughters, Rita, Consuelo, Ada, and Lourdes. Kalaw Ledesma experienced a debilitating stroke in 2000 and died in April 2005, aged 91 years.
In 2010 there was an exhibit of works by Filipino artists from Kalaw Ledesma's personal collection, held at the Ayala Museum in Makati.A Vision of Philippine Art: Selections from the Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Collection (exhibition catalog, Ayala Museum, 2010). There is a Purita Kalaw Ledesma Prize for Art Criticism, presented by the Ateneo Art Gallery and the Kalaw-Ledesma Foundation, "to foster critical public discussion about exhibitions and artworks.""Purita Kalaw-Ledesma Prize for Art Criticism 2015 is now accepting entries" Philippine Star (December 15, 2014).
References