Eliseo Art Silva 

 

Gregory Amenoff, president of the National Academy of Design (2001-2005), said of Silva’s work: "In McCubbin Stepanic`s work,  the particulars of identity are only alluded to, whereas in the work of Silva and Raja they are fully explicit. Eliseo Art Silva offers us a panorama that directly and indirectly references both the original Filipino culture and the colonial history layered over it. Like few cultures in the world, the Philippine Islands have been territorialized by what seem to be tens of conquerors.

Silva explores the complex layers of that world by employing a dreamlike atmosphere through which images of historical artifact float. This is not a representation of a single `mind`but rather the `mind`of an entire people - a collective memory. Within his work a voice is clearly heard, and it’s a voice that is hard to forget."

 

Jane Golden, founder and executive director of the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program said, "I had the pleasure of knowing Eliseo now for a dozen years. He is someone for whom this art form resonates deeply in his soul. He is someone who understand when you talk about muralism and what that means; and the connection between the Mexican muralists, and the WPA, the political art in this country during the 60s and 70s that talked about our times and our struggles: when people in Chicago in the late 60s created art that cannot be shown in galleries and museums,

Eliseo has been thinking about this art form for a long time because of accessibility, issues around equity, participation, collaboration and the way it reflects back people's stories. He represents all that is good and wonderful in the field. It's what is in his heart I think that really matters. It is his belief in this art form, and his dedication to it. He has been tireless in his pursuit, not just of art; but of politics, of meaning, of representation."

JUDY BACA, co-founder and artistic director of the Social and Public Art Resource Center said, " Eliseo is a respected Filipino artist that has produced pioneering work for his community." 

 

ELISEO ART SILVA
VISIONARY MURALIST, CULTURAL STRATEGIST, MEMORIAL DESIGNER

ARTIST STATEMENT
Art is a vessel for historical memory and cultural healing. My work transforms public spaces into sacred ground—where communities reclaim authorship, honor their ancestors, and envision futures rooted in justice. Through large-scale murals, memorials, and civic installations, I strive to illuminate untold stories and elevate voices long silenced.

EDUCATION & TRAINING
 MFA, Hoffberger School of Painting, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD (2003)
 BFA, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA (1997)
 Artist Residency, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, ME (2002)
 Specialized Mural/Public Art Training under Judith F. Baca, Los Angeles, CA
 Community Teaching Artist Certificate, CSU Los Angeles (2021)
 Artists-in-Communities Training Program, Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia, PA (2004)
 Philippine High School for the Arts, Laguna, Philippines (1986–1989)
 Additional studies: San Beda College Alabang, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Riverside Community College

SELECTED MAJOR PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS (2018–2025)
Over 100 civic commissions across the U.S., Mexico, and the Philippines 2025

 Our Filipino Story in Daly City – 62' x 23', Acrylic, Seafood City, Daly City, CA
 Pinagpala Para Magpala Rin- Gifted to Give (Filipino Shrine)– Buon fresco, mosaic, bronze sculptures, St. Columban Church, Los Angeles, CA
 Over the Rainbow: Uncle Bob Santos Legacy – 7' x 12', Oil & Acrylic, Seattle, WA
 Valor and Victory: Colton Sports Hall of Fame – Four murals, 20' x 50' each, Colton, CA
 Filipino Floral Tattoo Play Area – Rubber surfacing design, Unidad Park, Los Angeles, CA
 The Price of Freedom – 100' x 30', Restoration, Downtown Lompoc, CA
 Home is Circle City, Promenade Park, Corona, CA
 Talang Gabay – HIFI Eastern Gateway – 80' x 30', Beverly Blvd Bridge, Los Angeles, CA
 The Story of Larry Itliong – 10' x 60', Delano, CA
 Filipino Community Village Plaza Mural, 7’ x 40’, Seattle, WA

Legacy Installations (1995–2025)
 Gintong Kasaysayan, Gintong Pamana LA’s Filipino History mural– 150' x 30', Unidad Park, Los Angeles, CA (1995)
 Historic Filipinotown Talang Gabay Eastern Gateway – Sculptural gateway, Los Angeles, CA (2022) (2022
 Filipino Heritage Shrine – 23’ x 10’, Buon Fresco & Mosaic Tile, St. Columban Church, Los Angeles, CA
 Alab ng Puso: First Filipino American History Mural in the East Coast – 22' x 60', Philadelphia, PA
 La Sierra Passages – 7,000 sq. ft., Riverside, CA
 Colton Underpass Murals (3) – 28,000 sq ft., Colton, CA
 The Price of Freedom: US Veterans Memorial, 100’ x 30’, Lompoc, CA
 Philippine Nationality Room, Rm#313 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, PA.
 Manifest Diversity: 50th Anniversary of CSUDH Mural, Carson, CA
 Philippine Masters Collection, 6x6’ (3) and 6’ x 12’ (1), Mabuhay Credit Union, Carson, CA
 Carlos Bulosan Memorial, 8’x 9’, Eastern Hotel, Seattle, WA
 Larry Itliong Memorial, Larry D. Itliong Library, Delano, CA
 Bob Santos Memorial, Uncle Bob’s Place, Seattle, WA
 Jewish Mural, Pico-Robertson, Los Angeles, CA
 Choose Respect (Anti-Domestic Violence mural), Sitka, Alaska

HONORS & DISTINCTIONS

National & Civic Recognition
 Cultural Treasure Designation – City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (2018)
 Award of Design Excellence – City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs (2017)
 400 Grandes Figuras – 400 Outstanding Alumni Award-Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Manila (2019)
 Most Outstanding Migrant Artist Award, the Global Migrant Heritage Foundation USA, Inc., Washington, DC. (2023)

Media & Cultural Impact
 20 of LA’s Most Iconic Murals – LA Weekly (2017)
 10 Monumental Murals of Los Angeles – KCET (2013)
 1st Filipino Mural on the East Coast – NBC 10 Philadelphia (2013)
 8 Must-See Murals of Lompoc – Explore Lompoc (2022)
 1st Filipino-themed Fresco Shrine- St. Columban Church, LA (2025)

Fellowships & Grants
 Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant (2003)
 Ford Foundation Grant – City College of NY (2004)
 Visual Art Fellowship – Independence Foundation, Philadelphia (2008)
 Skowhegan & MICA Fellowship (2002)
 Getty Multicultural Arts Fellow Internship – Getty Institute, Los Angeles (1993)

Academic & Institutional Awards
 Distinguished Alumni Award – Colegio de San Juan de Letran (2014)
 Otis College of Art & Design – Multiple Scholarships & Dean’s List (1991–1995)
 Hoffberger Scholarship – MICA (2001)
 Makiling Academy MARIA Scholarship – CCP (1989)

Early Artistic Distinctions
 Jawaharlal Nehru Gold Medal – India (1987)
 Bronze Award – Nippon TV, Japan (1987)
 First Place – Ninoy Aquino Memorial Art Competition (1988)
 Official Philippine Entry – INSEA Young Art Exhibition, Canada (1986)

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Group Exhibitions
 Filipino California: Art and the Filipino Diaspora – Forest Lawn Museum, Glendale, CA (2024)
 Moved/Displaced – OCCCA, Santa Ana, CA (2024)
 Surface Tension – Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA (2017)
 I Want the Wide American Earth – Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition (2013–2015)

 Singgalot-The Ties That Bind - Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition (2006-2012)
 Made in California – LACMA, Los Angeles, CA (2000)

Solo Exhibitions
 Fiesta Apocalypse – McNish Art Gallery, Oxnard College, CA (2022)
 Disruptions – Pinta Dos Art Gallery, San Pedro, CA (2017)
 Memory & Surveillance – The Arthur Gallery, Moorpark, CA (2010)
 Larawan ng Sambayanan: Portrait of a People – Embassy of
the Philippines, Washington, D.C. (2003)
 Heridas de la Lengua-Wounds of the Tongue, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA (1995