Lito Mayo was a Filipino graphic artist, print-maker, avantegarde poet, social activist, sculptor, satirist, and art professor. His prolific career was brief; it lasted only a mere decade. He was one of the active young artists who experimented, collaborated, and exhibited art works in the thriving hubs of modernist and contemporary galleries and art associations in Ermita District of Manila. He was also credited by his peers and art writers as the "Original Punk" of Philippine Arts.
Early life
"Toto" as known to friends and family, was born Manolito Tolentino Mayo on December 17, 1954 in Lipa City, Batangas, the eldest son and second child, of banker and entrepreneur Sebastian Mayo and Belen Tolentino Mayo, a teacher and homemaker. He was born into one of the oldest and historic clans of Lipa City. The Mayo clan of Lipa City has claimed and has documented their roots from Spanish, Chinese, and Irish-British ancestry Lito Mayo has six other siblings- Nelson Mayo, Merle Laquian, Zaide Manes, and Nancy Rabena, Elvira Milo and Abeth Garcia. His father was an employee at the Philippine National Bank branch of Lipa City who had retired early to establish The Lipa Trading Company, a multifaceted family business that included insurance, financing, real estate, agriculture, tax preparation and a Suzuki motorcycle dealership and tricycle shop. For his primary education, Lito attended OLRA in celebration of The International Year of the Child.
The Thomasian Life: University Days and Activism
Eventually, in 1971, Lito Mayo was admitted to the University of Santo Tomas-College of Architecture and Fine Arts. He was a Philippine artist who was won several major competitions while in the University of Santo Tomas, including the 1973 Sculpture and Graphics Awards, 1977 AAP Graphic Arts Competition, and the 1980 Critic's Choice Awards for Graphic Arts. He was believed to be the very first punk in the Philippines, through his hairstyle, looks, lifestyle and his artworks. He also actively supported the alternative music in the mid-1970s. His early work in college was heavily inspired by Cubism, wood print blocks and sculptures. Mayo established himself in graphic arts, with print plate etching as his major technique. Intaglio, xerographics, and silkscreen processes were also incorporated into his early works. Business Day writer Angel G. De Jesus wrote that Mayo was 'a surrealistic expressionist with a satiric sense of humor.' Mayo's subjects and compositions usually embodied magical themes, amulets, animal people, and subconscious wanderings. In his work Pula Puti, he depicted a cockfight scene with two roosters having muscular human forms readying for a gladiatorial fight. His self portrait, a work in etching, has many incantations, mytical orations, and ancient figures adorning his shroud and countenance.
Awards
In September 2018, the well-respected print maker and influential artist, Virgilio "Pandy" Aviado was awarded the Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi, a prestigious "Filipino Cultural" award from Ateneo De Manila University. He dedicated his achievement to many great artists who had passed on. He included Lito Mayo in his closing ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1973 1st Honorable Mention, UST Sculpture Contest, Manila 3rd Prize, Graphic Arts, UST, Manila 3rd Honorable Mention, Graphic Arts Competition, UST, Manila 1974 Honorable Mention, UST Annual On-The-Spot Painting Contest, Manila 1975 2nd Prize, Print Competition, Sponsored by Bancom, Eurasia Arts, and PAP, Manila 1976 First Runner Up, Manila First Prize AAP, Manila 1977 Honorable Mention AAP, Manila
List of awards from: Mayo, Lito. Curriculum vitae. .
Untitled - Etching and aquatint - 20.5 cm x 20.5 cm
The Ateneo Art Gallery presents Print: The AAG Print Collection Revisited-Selected works from Wilson L Sy Prints and Drawings Gallery collection, curated by Pandy Aviado
Gallery of works
Legacy
In December 2017, coinciding with Lito Mayo's 63rd birth date, Artes de las Filipinas published “Lito Mayo's Alternate Reality". It was a short biographical and art retrospective article about the artists. Several of his rare works were featured as well as some archived photos that was never published before. Lito Mayo shared close friendships with many musicians and activists. He was close to Heber Bartolome of Banyuhay whom he made "godfather" to his youngest son, Leonardo Mayo. He was also close to Heber Bartolome's partner, the scholar-beauty queen turned activist, Maita Gomez. She was one of the co-founders of GABRIELA. Lito Mayo was regarded as the progenitor of punk culture and movement in the Philippines. He has infused art and punk as a subculture and has influenced many young artists and musicians to explore the subversion and excitement of the genre. Bobby Balingit of the Philippine punk pioneers - "The Wuds" was interviewed in "The Violent Dispersal" an online dialogue for arts, culture, and society in the Philippines. He recalled "hanging" out with Lito Mayo during his days as a resident artist in the Printmaker's Association and acknowledged his influence on his music and artistic direction. Moreover, Bobby Balingit also mentioned about playing his early gigs during one of Lito Mayo's exhibitions. He also thought of making the artist as a manager of the Wuds but was not able to because of the artist's early demise.
