Nearly two decades after Federico Aguilar Alcuaz was named National Artist for Visual Arts, a new book is seeking to provide the most comprehensive study yet of one of Philippine modern art's most celebrated figures.

Set for release in 2026, "Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: Salaysay" brings together nearly five years of research, documentation, and editorial work. Published by MAGIS, an imprint of Ateneo de Manila University Press, the volume features new scholarship, previously unknown archival material, and photographs of more than 300 artworks from collections in the Philippines and abroad.

Despite his stature and international success, Aguilar Alcuaz has often received less scholarly attention than contemporaries such as Fernando Amorsolo, Jose Joya, Cesar Legaspi, Vicente Manansala, and Arturo Luz. The book seeks to revisit long-held narratives surrounding the artist and place his work within the broader history of Philippine and international modernism.

Historian Ambeth R. Ocampo contributes an essay examining Aguilar Alcuaz's life and the circles in which he moved, while art historian and critic Patrick Flores traces the artist's development against the backdrop of postwar Philippine modernism and the cultural landscape of the Cold War.

A detailed historical timeline by co-editors Matthew Benjamin P. Lopez and Ricky P. Francisco follows Aguilar Alcuaz's journey from Manila to cities including Barcelona, Prague, and Hanover, charting a career that spanned more than seven decades.

The publication also presents studies of selected works informed by archival discoveries and provenance research. Much of that work was made possible through research led by Renato Aguila, whose findings expanded the archives of the Aguilar Alcuaz Estate and revealed previously overlooked connections between artworks, exhibitions, collectors, and historical events.

At the center of the book is an extensive photographic survey of the artist's body of work. Renowned art photographer Erik C. Liongoren, assisted by Michelle Palijo, documented more than 300 pieces from museums, institutions, and private collections, creating what the editors describe as one of the most ambitious visual archives assembled on Aguilar Alcuaz.

Edited by Christian M. Aguilar, Lopez, and Francisco, "Federico Aguilar Alcuaz: Salaysay" represents a collaboration among scholars, researchers, collectors, institutions, and members of the artist's family.

Pre-orders for the book are expected to open in June, with details on its launch and related programs to be announced by MAGIS and Ateneo de Manila University Press.