Maximino Balatbat II was born in March 30, 1978 in Caloocan City, Manila Philippines. He studied fines arts in the University of the East Caloocan City in the year 1997 – 2002. He first studied Architecture in the Far Eastern University in Manila in 1995-1997 for two years before he shifted to the Fine arts program. He wanted to follow his father’s footsteps, Romeo Balatbat, a FEATI architecture graduate, but realized after two years that he wanted something different. He then told his father that he was no longer interested studying architecture and later on transferred to the University of the East and took on advertising where he was awarded as one of UE’s Exemplary Performance in Visual Arts. He was also awarded as an International Achiever and outstanding Alumni in UE.

He was taught to draft and draw with the help of his father. He learned to draw first rather than write letters. His mother, Ruth Balatbat was a nurse graduated from Fatima University of Manila but then later on worked in PAGASA as an astronomer. He was named after his grandfather, Maximino Balatbat I who married Lima Balatbat from Pampanga.

He grew up with prostitutes, old women and their children; they were his inspirations in his works. He used those experiences with them, the knowledge of how they are. Though he was friends with prostitutes in his area, he never took advantage of them. They became a story in his works which led him to his success. As a kid, he would win art contests in his school, win prizes and soon became known in other countries. Before he could use his works for profit, he started opening business such as making airbrushes, motor designing, He was the first web designer in MTV Asia when it was first bought from MTV Singapore by the grandson of Eugenio Lopez. He was worked at the Lemon Magazine, Station ID of the Philippines, a graphic designer at the ADI American Technology, but after an incident protecting his friends, he got stabbed and stopped his businesses for two to three years of struggle and never accepted any job offers since then. He only worked for his family but for himself, he only wanted to paint. He started being a full-time painter after, and designed his own house that will be recognized soon. He used his educational background from Architecture and combined it with art which he created his own Architectural Abstraction.

After graduating, he married his wife in Caloocan City, Ada Pena in 2001, she studied in the Philippine Women's University in Manila majored in Hotel and Restaurant Manangement (HRM) IN 2004, and opened a computer business together. They had two children named Sheldang Balatbat and Arkiromi Balatbat in the year 2001. He doesn’t want his children to be pressured on taking on his legacy as an artist, but wants them to do what they want in the future, “whatever they decide to be when they grow up, I’ll support them 100%” he said.

During his time painting, he had accepted an apprentice named Jover Soriano, a student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for three years. Who later on stopped studying due to financial problems. Max Balatbat gave him an opportunity to study through paying off his tuition till he graduated Media Art and he is now a 3d artist in an advertising company thanks to Max Balatbat’s help. Max Balatbat had his first Solo Show in 2010 entitled “AVENIDA” with the slogan of “TOTOO LANG” meaning “just being real” and continued more one after another. He is a member of the ART COLLECTIVE SININGGANG.

Architectural abstractionist is what he call himself, he combines the knowledge he have in architecture with his art. He uses his pasts and travels to different places. Max Balatbat uses clothings to make his art, cut out cloth from different clothes and most of the time, from a prostitutes clothing that defines them and explains the way they are in Max Balatbat's works. Mixed media and Arcylic was his chosen medium and style, in this way, he explores different materials to make his art. In every country he travels, he immediately visits those prostitution houses and different kinds of structures, and he uses them in his new work, becomes an idea on how he will make his work different from his other works.

• 1992 – GRAND PRIZE POSTER MAKING (DE LA SALLE ARANETA UNIVERSITY)
• 2001 – 3RD PLACE (PWU PAINTING COMPETITION)
• 2002 – EXEMPLARY PERFORMANCE IN VISUAL ART (UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST)
• 2008 – HONORABLE MENTION 60TH AAP MIXED MEDIA CATEGORY
• 2009 – OUTSTANDING ALUMNI (UE FINE ARTS)

– GRAND PRIZE (3RD AAP-ECCA ABSTRACT ART)

– GRAND PRIZE (1ST GSIS ABSTRACT COMPETITION)

– REPRESENT PHILIPPINES (7TH FLORENCE BIENNALE ITALY)

– 2ND PLACE “SILVER LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO AWARD (7TH FLORENCE BIENNALE FIRENZE ITALY)

– TOP 10 PHILIPPINE ART AWARD METRO MANILA DIVISION

• 2010 – OUTSTANDING ALUMNI (UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST PHILIPPINES)

– JURORS CHOICE AWARD PHILIPPINE ART AWARDS

• 2011 – PHILIPPINE DELEGATE IN ASIAN INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION (SEOUL KOREA)
• 2012 – REPRESENT PHILIPPINES (BEIJING INTERNATIONAL ART BIENNALE, CHINA)

• 2010 – AVENIDA (ART CENTER PHILIPPINES)
• 2011 – KABARET (ART CENTER PHILIPPINES)

– PALASYO (ION ART/ UTTERLY ART SINGAPORE)

• 2012 – IMPERYO (ART CENTER PHILIPPINES)

– BAHAY ALIWAN (ART VERITE PHILIPPINES)

• 2009 – MAX BALATBAT & FITZ HERRERA (ABSTRACT VS ABSTRACT) ART CENTER MEGA MALL PHIL.
• 2011 – MAX BALATBAT & WARREN KHONG (COINCIDENCE) RENAISSANCE ART GALLERY PHIL.

• 2006 – NATURE IN ABSTRACTION (ECCA PHILIPPINES)
• 2007 – ABSTRACT EXHIBITION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART PHILIPPINES
• 2008 – B.A.G.O. (ART CENTER MEGA MALL PHILIPPINES)

– SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (ART CENTER MEGA MALL)

– UE QUARENTA (CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES)

• 2009 – KOREA INTERNATIONAL ART FESTIVAL (SEOUL, KOREA)

– PHILIPPINE ART AWARDS (NATIONAL MUSEUM MANILA, PHILIPPINES)

– FLORENCE BIENNALE FORTEZZA DA BASSO (FIRENZE, ITALY)

• 2010 – KOREA PHILIPPINES GSIS MUSEUM PHILIPPINES

– VISAYAS BIENNALE ART CENTER CEBU CITY PHILIPPINES

– REVIEW BENCAB MUSEUM PHILIPPINES

– ARTTREK SINGAPORE

• 2011 – KOREA PHILIPPINES GSIS MUSEUM PHILIPPINES

– INFINITE NAKKONAI MUSEUM THAILAND

– MALAYSIA ART FAIR

– HUNGRY FOR MORE (UTTERLY ART SINGAPORE)

– FILIPINISM

o QUEEN VICTORIA GALLERY CHELSEA

o LONDON, UK

o MUZEE SCHEVENENGEN

o DEN HAAG, HOLLAND

o MUSEUM FUL VOLKER KUNDE KHM

o VIENNA, AUSTRIA

o FACHLINIK GALLERY

o ESSEN, GERMANY

– ASIAN INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION HANGARAM ART MUSEUM (SEOUL KOREA)

– REVIEW BENCAB MUSEUM

• 2012 – HOMECOMING A.I.A.E. (AYALA MUSEUM)

– REVIEW BENCAB MUSEUM

– BEIJING INTERNATIONAL ART BIENNALE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA

• Acrylic on canvas
• ABONG (001- 005) 60cm X 80cm
• ABONG DUGTONG (001-005) 60cm X 80cm
• BALAY (001-005) 60cm X 80cm
• HOMEBASE (001-005) 60cm X 80cm
• IGINUT NG BAHAGHARI (001-003) 60cm X 80cm
• LUNDUYAN (001-003) 60cm X 80cm
• PALASYO PARAISO (001-005) 60cm X 80cm
• RESIKLO NA PALASYO (001-007) 60cm X 80cm
• BAHAY BAHAYAN (001-005) 60cm X 80cm

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• http://maxbalatbat.carbonmade.com/
• http://www.utterlyart.com.sg/artists/view/91
• http://www.altromondo.ph/artist-profiles/max-balatbat-2/
• http://gallerybig.com/gallerybigwhatsnewbalatbat.html
• http://villageartgallery.biz/artists/max-balatbat
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNwZn9Vh0bY
• http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=max%20balatbat&sm=3

Category:Filipino artists