The Fearless Heart of an Artist

In the opening pages of his book, Fearless: The Art Of Fred J. Elizalde, the business magnate turned artist says, “Painting, for me, is a spiritual experience…in the colors, in the saturation, in the chiaroscuros, in the brushstrokes, I communicate….”

First showing interest in art as a child, Fred J. Elizalde has since filled hundreds of canvases with vibrantly-colored images and figurative studies. His paintings have been largely kept in his private collection, seen mostly by family and a privileged few of his friends.

A photo of Elizalde in his living room shows walls and ceilings covered with his work — proffering an intimate look into his world, where art is both his refuge and form of self-expression.

To the outside world, Elizalde is an imposing figure within the business community. As a captain of industry, he has redefined media in the Philippines as head of Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), the country’s oldest and largest media network. He believed that media had to be ubiquitous in our daily lives, widening its presence and reach. He also led the charge in taking the company into the future, rebranding it as the MBC Media Group focused on delivering content to audiences across various platforms.

His drive to succeed is fueled by traits instilled in him by his days as an athlete, where he was a bronze medalist in the 1958 Asian Games, and swam in the Rome Olympics in 1960. “Focus, endurance, and an unstoppable instinct to win” became the tenets not only his career, but also the very way he approached life.

Emotionally-charged imagery

Last year, Elizalde brought us into the inner workings of his life as an artist in Fearless: The Art of Fred J. Elizalde. The book takes the reader on a journey of how his work has evolved from the time he painted his first oil at age 15.

His exploration of the artform is unceasing, delving into various media, and even sculptures in fiberglass, resin and acrylic. The human form figures prominently in much of his work, from nudes to interesting studies on human expression.

Color and fluid movement are the common threads running through his work, imbuing each one with a dynamic energy seen through Elizalde’s unique point-of-view.

You don’t have to be an art student to see how deftly he traverses the fine line between precision and the call of artistic freedom — resulting in canvases laden with emotionally-charged imagery.

An ongoing exhibit (also named after his book) at the Aliw Theater gives one an up-close look at the artistry of his paintings. Actually, Aliw Theater itself is an expression of Elizalde’s creativity and passion, which he designed as a gift for his wife, prima ballerina and Ballet Manila founder Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.

It is not surprising that Macuja-Elizalde would be his favorite muse, inspiring his most passionate work. In one particularly rare piece, which hangs in their Boracay resthouse, she inspires imagery of a dancer reimagined in plywood and paint. One-dimensional from afar, the detailed work shows the artist’s deeper understanding of his craft, and the stories they tell. His oil painting Lisa, which he made in 1997, would become the cover of the souvenir program of the Ballet Manila production, Firebird.

Nurturer of the arts

Beyond his own pursuits, Elizalde sees the world as a place where artists are not only nurtured, but also where they are given the space to thrive.

French painter Henri Eteve, who first came to the Philippines in the late ‘60s, found his place in the local arts scene with the help of his would-be patron. In the book, Eteve says this of Elizalde: “Many sponsors support artists but tell them what to make. Freddie never does that. He lets me create whatever I want. No control, no conditions. That kind of freedom means everything.”

The two would eventually become lifelong friends, and even collaborating on a number of joint exhibits over the next few decades.

At 85 years young, Fred J. Elizalde has already lived a rich and colorful life, in all the ways that define that phrase.

His passion for the arts has been a driving force in his life’s work, allowing him to touch lives in both a cerebral and emotional way. As a longtime art patron, he has paved the way for the next generation of artists to thrive. As an artist, he presents a different lens through which to appreciate the world.

Through his work, Elizalde becomes a consummate storyteller who fearlessly testifies to why, in these rapidly changing times, never ending curiosity is a critical ingredient to the human experience.

Elizalde’s passion for the arts carries over to the stage, inspired by his wife Macuja-Elizalde’s advocacy of bringing ballet into the mainstream. Together, they created Ballet and Ballads, merging classical ballet with radio-friendly music in one grand production. Since its inception in 1998, the likes of Basil Valdez, Ariel Rivera, Christian Bautista, and Side A have been part of the show, alongside the Ballet Manila dancers. This year’s iteration, The Dawn Of Ballet, is particularly significant, with 40 as the magic number. The show, which played to a full house this past weekend, featured the music of legendary rock band The Dawn, who celebrates 40 years of making music, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Macuja-Elizalde’s triumphant return to the country from Kirov, Russia. In line with their joint vision for greater access to ballet productions, tickets to the show are made available to the public for free.