Manuel Baldemor (b. 1947, Paete, Laguna, Philippines) is a painter, printmaker, sculptor, writer, and graphic artist whose career embodies both Philippine tradition and international acclaim. He began as a boy master wood‑carver, later working as a teenaged movie billboard painter, before formally studying fine arts at the University of Santo Tomas.
Baldemor rose to prominence in the 1970s, winning the Grand Prizes in painting at the Art Association of the Philippines annual competitions in 1972 and 1973. His talent soon gained international recognition when he represented the Philippines at the XIV Salon International Art in Paris.
Influenced by Vicente Manansala, Baldemor is best known for his Neo‑realist compositions, which simplify forms into geometric clarity while retaining warmth and narrative depth. His most remarkable works include large pen‑and‑ink drawings, painted sculptures, and papier‑mâché reliefs of folk genre, all of which celebrate the rhythms of Filipino life.
Over the decades, Baldemor has received awards and grants from several countries and has held over a hundred solo exhibitions in Philippine embassies and cultural venues worldwide. His travels inspired many of his paintings, particularly landscapes of the places he visited, which he transformed into lyrical visual records.
His art has also reached global audiences through reproductions on UNICEF greeting cards, making his imagery of Filipino culture and rural life familiar across continents.
