The son of Abdulmari Imao Sr., an internationally renowned Philippine artist, Abdulmari de Leon Imao Jr. was nicknamed TOYM when his father won a Ten Outstanding Young Men Award in 1968. TOYM’S paintings have been exhibited at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Museum of the Philippines. He created Filipino Tapestry (1992), a mural measuring 4.5 m by 1.8 m, for the Philippines embassy in Los Angeles.
Artwork description
Presented to the Ville de Montréal by the Philippine government to celebrate the centenary of the proclamation of independence of the Republic of the Philippines, the monument stands in Parc Mackenzie-King. A pathway made of granite flagstones leads to it from Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine. The waist-length bronze bust, without arms, is presented on a granite pedestal, itself sitting in the centre of a granite base. On the pedestal is engraved a text, in French, English, and Tagalog, commemorating the important role played by Dr. José P. Rizal in the liberation of his country from colonial grasp. The bust in Montréal is one of 24 busts of Rizal cast by the artist, which were offered to various cities around the world.