Francis Yap is a Filipino modernist painter who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the East. His work was identified by contemporaries as part of the “modern primitivism” movement—an approach that blended modernist structure with raw, instinctive forms. In an interview conducted by Cid Reyes, artist Rodolfo Samonte described Yap as one of the painters associated with what was then called the “University of Santo Tomas Style,” a loose grouping of artists in the late 1960s who explored expressive, stylized figuration.
Throughout the 1970s, Yap was an active presence in Manila’s art scene, frequently exhibiting at Hidalgo Gallery and Galerie Bleau, two important venues for emerging and mid‑career modernists of the period. He was closely associated with fellow artists Raul Isidro and Angelito David, forming part of a circle that pushed Philippine modernism toward more personal, intuitive, and culturally grounded directions.
Yap’s inclusion in exhibitions at the Philippine Center in New York further situates him within the broader narrative of Filipino artists whose work has reached international audiences. His practice reflects a commitment to modernist experimentation shaped by local influences, artistic camaraderie, and the evolving visual language of late‑20th‑century Philippine art.
