Based in Quezon City, Ronna Manansala is the granddaughter of Philippine National Artist, Vicente S. Manansala. Despite the familial association, Ronna rises to the role of artist in her own right.
Before becoming a professional artist, Ronna pursued a career in dance. In the midst of her career, she found herself a single mother and in hopes of supporting her family, made the difficult decision to work abroad, far away from family and friends. Her mother’s illness made her return to the Philippines for good. Amidst troubled times, she found comfort in painting. For many years, she had been afraid to display her talent, afraid that she would never measure up to her Lolo’s standards.
Between granddaughter and grandfather, there is a striking resemblance in their artistic styles. When she first began as an artist, she would use the same subjects as her grandfather and paint in Cubist style in brown and earthy tones reminiscent of a Manansala masterpiece. Since then, she has made her works uniquely her own, projecting the raw and pure character of her subject. Focusing on the feminine, her paintings speak to the true beauty of Woman. As a former ballet dancer, ballerinas also inspire Ronna whom she captures in many of her pieces. Ronna is also avidly involved in animal rescue and hopes her paintings through sales proceeds can contribute to finding homes for the many stray cats and dogs in her area.
Ronna holds an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the University of Santo Tomas. She is involved in countless art organizations and is a founding member of the United Women Artists Association of the Philippines. Her work has been widely featured in exhibits, books, and magazines throughout Manila and abroad such as London, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Washington, DC, and Canada. She has also received many accolades for her art.
You can view more of Ronna’s art on her Instagram page at instagram.com/ronna_manansala/.
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Art Pairing
Slicing Tomatoes 