Book designer and illustrator Albert Gamos was born on September 13, 1951 in Pampanga. An honorary member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, his works have been published both locally and internationally. He was one of the first illustrators to work for Adarna House, illustrating 28 books with the publishing house in his lifetime. Two of those books remain in print today: Sino Ako? and The Love of Lam-Ang.
Outside of the publishing industry, Albert, together with his friend and fellow children’s literature legend Rene Villanueva, is also credited as being one of the great minds behind well-loved Batibot characters Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing.
As a testament to the excellence of his art, he was awarded numerous honors and recognitions in a career spanning over three decades. Just as he was starting out as an artist, Albert received an honorable mention at the 1985 Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava. In 1992, he was a runner-up at the 1992 Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations for his work in Pandaguan. That same year, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People awarded him a citation for his great contribution to the art of Filipino children’s books. Just this year, he was nominated to the 2009 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards.
The beloved illustrator passed away on November 3, 2009. Survived by his wife Amelia, five children, and countless friends, Albert will be sorely missed.
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