₱1600
By Francisco G. Villanueva
Published by Malones Printing Press & Publishing House, ©2025.
About the Book
Bugasong to Barcelona: Life & Works of Felix Laureano is a ground breaking work by Francisco G. Villanueva, chronicling the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Felix Laureano, the first Filipino photographer and a pioneering artist of the 19th century. This meticulously researched biography spans over a decade of Villanueva’s efforts, weaving together archival discoveries, historical contexts, and personal insights.
Born in Bugasong, Antique, Philippines, and later flourishing in Barcelona, Spain, Laureano’s Iife reflects a compelling journey of artistry, identity, and innovation. Villanueva’s book not only sheds light on Laureano’s photographic achievements but also situates him within the broader naratives of colonial history and Filipino diaspora. A product of passion and perseverance, this book is an essential addition to Philippine historiography and the study of global photographic traditions.
About the Artist
Francisco Gonzalo Villanueva, a BA cum laude graduate from UP Diliman, began his career teaching Social Sciernces and Speech at UP lloilo. He later moved to Manila where he worked in sales and advertising at Shell Oil and J. Walter Thompson companies. A resident of Canada for over 50 years, Villanueva held various roles in media and advertising in Vancouver and Toronto, eventually serving as a national account manager for Societé Radio Canada until his retirement in 2011. He has lectured on Philippine arts and culture in Canada and the Philippines. An avid traveler, he completed the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage multiple times. Villanueva has also served as Hospitalero Voluntario in Spain and as Philippine Cultural History Lecturer at UP Visayas.
Villanueva embarked on his Félix Laureano research project in 2010 that culminated in two 2015 inaugural exhibitions of Laureano’s life and works at UP Visayas in lloilo and Metro Manila’s Filipinas Heritage Library-Ayala Museum. These were later followed in 2022-2023 by a remounted Laureano Exhibition at the National Museum Western Visayas Regional Museum in lloilo City. In 2023-2024, he brought a traveling version to Spain where the first one took place at the Universidad de Alicante in Alicante, followed by a historic showing in Barcelona, where Félix Laureano established three photographic studios. Bugasong to Barcelona, is Villanueva’s initial venture into book writing.
Description: 220 pages : color illustrations ; 24.8 x 21.5 cm
Language: English
ISBN: 978-971-0382-48-4
In stock
