ART COMMENTARY: ROBERT KO
by: Samantha King
Born on
In 1975, he met Florentino Dauz, then the Director of Broadcast who became his art patron along with two other supporters. It was at this time when he began joining local and international competitions that he started to get noticed and was soon commissioned to do murals. To this day, he is still part of the faculty of the Far Eastern University Institute of Architecture and Fine Arts and his artworks are still being acknowledged everywhere—from calendars to magazines all over the country.
One specific moment in Robert Ko’s life which greatly appealed to me was when he participated in Taos Pusong Hinahandog Namin sa Inyo, the ‘Art Exposition to Feed the Hungry and Starving Children of Negros’ held at the Olympia Complex from October to December of 1985. I think it was very noble of him to volunteer the income gained from his paintings for the poor children of
Reading about the life of Robert Ko, I had a stronger reaffirmation of something I already discovered for myself in school, which is -- perseverance. A person just can’t go far in life without this moral, for without the will to persevere—nothing can be achieved. More so if your ambitions fall in the line of Robert Ko’s work, in which, perseverance is not just a vital ingredient—but the essence of it all.
What makes Robert Ko outstanding is his dedication to the field of art. He is constantly seeking to improve his skills by experimenting on different styles of painting as well as being a competitive yet respectful and open-minded contributor to the ever-evolving cycle of art.
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