Francisco Tejada Nacion Jr has been drawing since the age of four. Despite majoring in Computer Engineering at the University of Baguio, Francis nonetheless pursued art studies while in college.

In 2006 he started to apprentice with Mr. Fernando Sena and joined his workshops. Francis had his own style by the time he met Mr. Sena, but he developed it further and was influenced by his tutor’s use of vibrant colours.

In early 2007 he joined the Saturday Group of Artist, which includes Mauro Malang Santos, whom he greatly admires.

The themes of his works show his love and pride for his country and its culture. The dominant attraction in his work is the light or bright side. This is his portrayal of the good Filipino traits of patience, kindness and being loving. He often portrays the sun and moon as well. These great celestial bodies symbolize time which to him is valuable and should not be wasted. Francis believes that time must be used to do positive action to make one’s dreams come true. “With the good traits of a Filipino, with hard work and good use of time, we Filipinos can look forward to a brighter and happier life.” he says.

To this day, this young artist continues to develop his own unique style, characterized by etching and scraping to produce special textural effects. The artist prepares well for his works, carefully researching Filipino art designs which he incorporates in his paintings. An example of this is the colourful materials woven by ethnic groups, which he has represented in his paintings, showing strong visual appeal because of its brilliant hues. He continues to research ethnic art from different regions in the country, focusing on the happy mix of vivid colours. He is inspired by the rich culture of the Philippines and paints traditional subjects like mother and child, father and son, market vendors, lovers, picturing common sights in the Philippines folk life. With a positive outlook on life, he makes sure these view points are infused in his works.

So far, things have been working well for Francis. Art enthusiasts hail him as one of the most promising young artists to watch. He actively joins selected art exhibits here and abroad. Francisco Tejada Nacion Jr. was born in Kalibo, Aklan in 1981.

For more information on the show, please email info@charliesartgallery.com.