Prized possession

The latest Juvenal Sansó book Prized and Personal is one of the most comprehensive books on the late Presidential Medal of Merit Awardee.

The 464-page book edited by prolific editor, writer and journalist Rachel Medina features over 600 full-color artworks by Sansó — many of which were never seen by the public — stemming from the two-year cycle of exhibitions of the same name at Fundacion Sansó, which ran from 2022 to 2023.

The Sansó: Prized and Personal series of exhibits showed carefully-selected pieces from private collections, providing a unique overview of Sansó’s artistic phases, from his student days, to his Black Period works in Europe and his popular Brittany series. 

The book delves into the different motivations in acquiring Sansó’s art with interviews of each collector. Writer Pepper Teehankee’s collection of Sansó’s petites (miniature paintings) reminds him of his close friendship with the artist, during his 1980s-2000 stay in Europe and in Manila.

Eliot and Cherry Maguan’s collection focuses on Sansó’s Filipino-themed pieces. Young collectors Marlon and Marissa Sanchez pivot toward the unusual and hard-to-find Expressionist pieces of Sansó’s Black Period series.

Galerie Joaquin owner Jack Teotico’s collection covers all stages of Sansó’s art, which is symbolic of his longtime friendship with the artist. It also contains chapters written by some of the most esteemed Philippine historians, critics and writers such as author Ambeth Ocampo, art critic Cid Reyes and editor Thelma Sioson San Juan, along with a timeline of Sansó’s oeuvre and life.

Sansó: Prized and Personal also serves as a tribute book of sorts to the life and art of Sansó, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 95. These interviews, which date from the early 1970s to the late 1980s, highlight Sansó’s thoughts about his art in his own words. 

“Fundacion Sansó has been unique among local institutions, having had the rare privilege of caring not just for the artist’s body of work, but for the artist himself,” says Fundacion Sansó director Ricky Francisco. “With his passing, the foundation and its staff have committed themselves even more firmly to the task of honoring his memory — through the preservation and sharing of his art, his archives and his story. This book allows us to see the best of Sansó’s works that are usually not accessible to the public.”

The book will be launched officially in the fourth quarter of this year. Interested inquiries may reach

@fundacionsansomuseumshop on Instagram, or pre-order through this link: https://forms.gle/jmrNy43ZXRpzSsC57. 

Fundacion Sansó is located at 32 V. Cruz Street., Barangay Sta. Lucia, San Juan, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays and holidays).