Naval, Jose

Born in Manila in 1963 to Dr. Cosme and Maria Vicenta Naval, Jose Guillermo Naval is a self-taught artist whose creative journey has been deeply rooted in both discipline and discovery. Growing up in a large household, he and his siblings were encouraged by their mother to explore activities that would nurture imagination and resourcefulness. Summers were filled with lessons and crafts, while formal training at Don Bosco Technical School immersed him in drafting, carpentry, iron working, and electronics—early experiences that shaped his comfort with materials and hands-on processes.
Although drawn to photography, Naval pursued Anthropology at the University of the Philippines, earning his degree in 1985, followed by further studies in Philosophy at Ateneo de Manila University. His early professional path included lecturing and cultural research at Ateneo’s Institute of Culture before joining the Ayala Museum as a curatorial assistant. It was there, in 1990, that he attended a pivotal workshop by artist Ral Arogante on wire and found-object sculpture—an encounter that prompted him to embrace art with greater seriousness.
Initially working with sculpture, Naval later transitioned to works on paper and canvas, appreciating the boundless freedom of the two-dimensional plane, unrestrained by gravity yet equally demanding of imagination. For many years, he quietly developed his practice at home, until 2003 when he was invited to join a group exhibition with fellow self-taught artists Carlo Saavedra and Gino Tioseco at Gallery Astra under Ed Soler—an opportunity that marked his entry into the public art scene.