Dominador castaneda e hilarious birthday

DOMINADOR DIONISIO HILARIO CASTAÑEDA was born in Tondo Manila on April 8, 1904 to Deogracias Castañeda y Saraza of Imus Cavite and Dolores Hilario y Rojas, where they settled during the early stages of American rule in the Philippines.

PAINTER

In his own typewritten memoir, Dominador wrote : ‘At the early age of six I started to draw continuously. My father bought me a French book of drawing lessons, from which I studied. I would sit down with paper and crayon and make out the lessons over and over again till I felt that I had done my best.’

And in the same memoir he related vividly the day his father took him to the School of Fine Arts in Quiapo. Because of his excitement he was almost knocked over by a speeding rig as he tried to cut loose from his father’s hand and crossed the street towards the old building.  He wrote, “It was the sight of the youthful artists at their drawing tables which I caught through the iron bars of the window that got me excited and made me forget the danger of speeding vehicles. I pushed my childish head through the railings, gazed enchanted and with envy at the students working. I said to myself “someday I will be one of you”.”

True enough and despite his father’s efforts later on to dissuade him from becoming a professional painter, Dominador persisted and eventually enrolled in the School of Fine Arts under the directorship of Rafael Enriquez. He graduated with a Certificate of Proficiency in Painting in 1924. That same year, he left for America to explore opportunities overseas. He wasted no time exploring this new world which started in San Francisco, where he attended life-drawing classes at the California School of Fine Arts at night while taking on different jobs to support himself. Nine months later he ventured towards the east where he enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC). The following year, he was awarded the Frank Fairman Sherman Scholarship which enabled him to take classes for two years and obtain a Certificate in Figure Painting in 1928.  At the AIC, he fell under the influence of impressionist painter George Oberteuffer. He was inspired by the lectures of Lorado Taft who imbibed in him great interest in the history and workings of art.

Lured by the vibrancy of Mexico, Dominador went on a sketching tour and immersed himself in its local culture after completing his education at the AIC. In this city he was exposed to Mexico’s local artists like master-modernist Diego Rivera.

In the wake of the Great Depression the following year, Dominador’s career path in the US became uncertain which pivoted his journey back to his motherland. In January 1930, Dominador found himself back in Manila once again.

TEACHER

In August of the same year Dominador  secured his first teaching job at the School of Fine Arts under the directorship of Fabian de la Rosa. He was assigned to teach Elementary Freehand Drawing, a course lasting two semesters about the principles and practice of drawing by free hand. It was a common pre-requisite to any of the different branches of art which at the time included sculpture, engraving, illustration, cartooning and commercial design. As an instructor, he thus bore the responsibility of preparing the students towards more complex lessons in art. 

However, Dominador cut short his teaching stint after only one school year and gave himself the chance to express his art beyond the university. During this time, he produced artworks for magazines, participated in an art exhibit, art competitions and started a family. In 1939, he went back to his alma mater once again as instructor, this time under the directorship of Fernando Amorsolo. It was the beginning of his lifelong commitment to the university. He handled 22 different courses and around 200 classes in his almost 27 years of teaching. He was the first to teach Philippine art history in campus. During his teaching career, he taught Pictorial Composition, Painting from Life, Art History of the Philippines,