Jaehwa Bernardo

Filipino artist Andy Nabong. Photo by Harold Khan

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Andy Nabong receives Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt award, but remains grounded in the work

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788664478564IMG_0423.jpg" style="width: 960px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960">Filipino artist Andy Nabong. Photo by Harold Khan</div>For Filipino artist Andy Nabong, receiving the prestigious Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt 2026 from the cultural association Italia in Arte Nel Mondo is undoubtedly a moment worth celebrating.The Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt 2026 is presented within the Academy&rsquo;s broader visual arts program, including the Biennale of Visual Arts &ldquo;El Siglo d&rsquo;Oro &ndash; Omaggio a Rembrandt.&rdquo; The recognition is given to personalities whose artistic talent, creativity and cultural contribution stand out, placing Nabong among artists recognized through an international platform that brings together figures from the arts and other cultural fields.&nbsp;Nabong is the founder and principal instructor of the Vienna Atelier of Traditional Art (VATA) and has participated in various exhibitions in Vienna, Paris, and other cities. His formal education includes studies at the Art Students League and Grand Central Academy in New York, the Academy of Realist Art in Canada, and an internship at the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts.The recognition honors his creativity, artistic expression and contribution to the arts. Yet listening to Nabong talk about the experience, what stands out is not the pride of being recognized, but his remarkable ability to remain grounded in the process that brought him there.After more than two decades of making art, Nabong admits that there are still moments when he questions himself. The recognition, he says, gave him something more valuable than validation, it gave him renewed motivation.&ldquo;After doing art for more than 20 years, sometimes you have doubts in yourself. A recognition like this just gives you assurance, more motivation.&rdquo;It is a revealing admission from an artist receiving an international distinction. Rather than speaking about the award as proof that he has reached the pinnacle of his career, Nabong speaks about it as encouragement to continue learning.That attitude can be traced back to Barbara Adrian, prominent American realist painter, &nbsp;who Andy studies with at the Art students league of New York, she instilled in him a philosophy that continues to guide his practice: keep learning, leave room for improvement and never consider yourself better than others.For Nabong, that lesson also means resisting the temptation to compare artists.He believes every artist has an individual way of expressing themselves. This philosophy has become particularly important in his role as a teacher, where he deliberately avoids creating students who simply imitate their master.Instead of telling students how he would paint a particular subject, he often turns the question around and asks them what they think. He is willing to discuss technique, the choice of medium, color relationships, complementary colors and the treatment of light, but wants the artistic decision to remain with the student.His concern is that students can easily become reflections of the schools or teachers they come from. Nabong has observed how, in some art academies and ateliers, it can become possible to identify an artist&#39;s training simply by looking at the work.For him, teaching should do the opposite.&ldquo;The responsibility of a teacher is not to create another version of himself, but to help an artist discover their own identity,&rdquo; he said.That same philosophy seems to apply to Nabong himself. Even with the recognition of his work, he remains conscious that his artistic journey is unfinished.&ldquo;Nothing has changed, but, you know, it just gives you more responsibility.&rdquo;The responsibility extends not only to his own practice but also to the students who look to him for guidance. He understands that recognition can raise expectations, but he does not see it as a reason to stop questioning or experimenting.If anything, it makes him more aware of the responsibility to continue growing.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788664507564screenshot_with_permission_02.png" style="width: 960px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960">Screenshot</div><div>ART AS DIARY</div>Nabong&#39;s understanding of art is deeply personal. He describes the works he creates as a kind of diary, records of experiences, frustrations, mistakes and discoveries.He does not romanticize the creative process. Behind the finished paintings are errors, experimentation and moments of frustration. These are not things he tries to hide; they are part of what makes each work his own.The recognition in Italy therefore becomes another entry in that ongoing artistic diary.His journey to receive the award was also more than an official trip. Nabong combined the occasion with a vacation and a long road trip, stopping at different places along the way and enjoying the country&#39;s scenery and remarkably clear waters. He remembers the warmth of the people he met, even while navigating conversations across languages.The experience also allowed him to meet artists and professionals from different fields. The gathering included not only artists but people involved in acting, human rights, law, philosophy and other professions.For Nabong, this diversity reinforced something he already believes about the arts: art creates community.Artists can come together, talk about their work, look at one another&#39;s creations and inspire each other. The conversations become an important part of the experience, much like a family exchanging ideas and stories.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1788664524345IMG_0443.jpg" style="width: 633px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="633">Photo by Harold Khan</div><div>TRADITION WITHOUT IMITATION</div>Nabong&#39;s artistic philosophy is strongly connected to the Old Masters and traditional techniques. He remains fascinated by the skill of artists from previous generations and sees museums and master copies as opportunities to learn rather than simply admire.At the same time, he does not believe tradition should mean being trapped in the past.He is interested in bringing elements of contemporary thinking and new concepts into his work while maintaining a connection to classical art. For him, the two approaches do not necessarily have to compete.He has also noticed a renewed interest in classical figurative art, particularly in Italy and elsewhere, suggesting that traditional approaches are finding new audiences among younger artists and collectors.His own work sits within that conversation: learning from the past while continuing to evolve.And that evolution is important to Nabong because he believes that an artist should never arrive at a point where there is nothing left to learn.&ldquo;You never stop learning.&rdquo;It is perhaps the simplest explanation of why an award like the Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt 2026 has not changed him.The honor acknowledges where Andy Nabong is today. But his mindset remains firmly focused on where he can still go.For someone who has spent more than 20 years creating art, teaching others and studying the work of those who came before him, the recognition is not a finish line.It is another reason to pick up the brush.

For Filipino artist Andy Nabong, receiving the prestigious Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt 2026 from the cultural association Italia in Arte Nel Mondo is undoubtedly a moment worth celebrating.

For Filipino artist Andy Nabong, receiving the prestigious Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt 2026 from the cultural association Italia in Arte Nel Mondo is undoubtedly a moment worth celebrating.

Andy Nabong receives Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt award, but remains grounded in the work

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Andy Nabong receives Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt award, but remains grounded in the work

ABS-CBN News,

Marie Khan

Published September 06, 2026 11:28 AM PHT

Read More:

Andy Nabong

art

painting

Vienna

Austria

Alto Riconoscimento Rembrandt

Italia in Arte Nel Mondo

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