Popoy Cusi: A life in art, a legacy for the nation
By Monsi A. Serrano
There are artists who seek recognition, and there are artists who quietly build a lifetime of work that becomes recognition itself.
For nearly seven decades, master watercolorist Popoy Cusi has carried Filipino watercolor beyond our shores — disciplined, uncompromising, and deeply rooted in identity. At 79, he speaks not of awards but of responsibility.
“When God calls me home, I will not leave behind my paintings — I will leave behind my legacy of what a Filipino artist should be.”
That legacy is anchored in mastery. Watercolor — a medium known for its unforgiving nature — has been his lifelong discipline, allowing no easy correction or revision. Every stroke demands clarity of vision.
“Watercolor does not forgive. You must already know what you want to say before you paint.”
Cusi chose not the easiest path, but the most exacting one. He even lived in Europe for some time and was offered residency status in the United Kingdom which he politely declined. He explained that his loyalty lies with his homeland:
“I believe in “galing ng Pilipino (the excellence of Filipinos),” he said during a recent painting exhibition at the German Club Makati.
The renowned master watercolorist urges fellow Filipino artists to cultivate their talents and show them to the world with pride.
He emphasized that Filipino artists are admired and respected on the global stage when they embrace their identity confidently.
As a member of the Mangyan indigenous community, his journey carries a deeper national meaning. He did not emerge from the country’s most dominant academic institutions. His path was shaped instead by perseverance, cultural consciousness, and devotion to craft. His work reminds us that artistic excellence in the Philippines does not belong to one school, one network, or one pedigree — it belongs to the nation in all its diversity.
Internationally, his contributions have long been affirmed. He has twice been recognized in Who’s Who in International Art (Les Grands et Nouveaux Noms du Monde Artistique d’Aujourd’hui) in Switzerland — a rare distinction placing him among respected artists on the global stage. His works are collected abroad, securing his reputation worldwide.
And yet, the measure of a great artist is not merely where his paintings hang, but what they represent. Cusi has consistently championed Filipino identity in art.
While acknowledging the influence of European masters such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Raphael, and Germany’s Franz Marc, Emil Nolde, and August Macke, Cusi insists that Filipinos must also honor their own identity.
“These great artists inspire us, but we must nourish our own talents and show them to the world with pride. When we embrace who we are, the world begins to listen.”
The Order of National Artists is conferred upon those whose body of work contributes significantly to the cultural heritage of the nation — whose art shapes identity, deepens consciousness, and endures across generations.
In Popoy Cusi, we see a lifetime of sustained artistic excellence, mastery of a demanding medium elevated to global standards, cultural representation deeply rooted in his indigenous heritage, international recognition that affirms Filipino artistry, and a steadfast philosophy of art as stewardship rather than mere commodity.
His story is not one of entitlement. It is one of quiet endurance.
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