Alfonso Angel Yangco Ossorio was a Filipino American artist, born on August 2, 1916, in Manila, Philippines, into a wealthy family with a diverse heritage of Hispanic, Filipino, and Chinese backgrounds. His father was a prominent sugar baron, which afforded Ossorio a privileged upbringing and the opportunity to travel and receive an education abroad. At the age of eight, he moved to England to attend Catholic boarding schools, a formative period that introduced him to Western art and culture. By the age of fourteen, Ossorio had relocated to the United States, continuing his education at Portsmouth Priory in Rhode Island. His early exposure to art, coupled with his multicultural background, would deeply influence his eclectic artistic style. Ossorio's formal education in art began at Harvard University, where he enrolled in 1934, a year after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. At Harvard, he pursued a degree in Fine Arts, which was heavily focused on art history rather than practical art-making. Despite this, Ossorio managed to cultivate his artistic skills, illustrating book covers and engaging in various artistic projects. His passion for collecting art also began during his college years, leading to an exhibition of his collection at the Fogg Museum at Harvard in 1936. This collection included works by notable artists such as Eric Gill and David Jones, showcasing Ossorio's early inclination towards European art movements. After graduating from Harvard in 1938, Ossorio continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, further honing his skills in studio art. His first solo exhibition took place in 1941 at the Wakefield Gallery in New York, marking the beginning of his professional career as an artist. During World War II, Ossorio served as a medical illustrator in the US Army, an experience that would later influence the morbid and surreal imagery in his work. Ossorio's early work was characterized by surrealistic still lifes, landscapes, and portraits, executed with a haunting detail and precision. However, his style evolved significantly over the years, influenced by his friendships with key figures in the Abstract Expressionist movement, such as Jackson Pollock and Jean Dubuffet. Ossorio's admiration for Pollock and Dubuffet led him to explore abstraction and to incorporate elements of Art Brut into his work. His collection of art, including significant works by these artists, became well-known, and he played a crucial role in introducing Pollock's work to European audiences. In the 1950s, Ossorio's work underwent another transformation, marked by his commission to create a mural for the parish of St. Joseph in Victorias City, Philippines. This mural, known as "The Angry Christ," is one of his most notable works, reflecting his complex relationship with religion and his bold, expressionistic use of color and form. Ossorio described his work as a "continual last judgment," a theme that resonates throughout his oeuvre. Ossorio's later work is best known for his "Congregations" series, assemblages of found objects that he began creating in the 1960s. These works, which he described as "congregated imagery," reflect his belief in the spiritual connection between God and the material world. Ossorio's ability to blend different cultures, religious themes, and artistic styles into a cohesive whole is a testament to his unique vision as an artist. Throughout his career, Ossorio's work was included in numerous exhibitions in the United States and abroad, and his contributions to the art world were recognized by many. His work is part of the collections of major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Ossorio passed away on December 5, 1990, in New York City, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering figure in Abstract Expressionism and a bridge between various art movements and cultures.

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