MANILA, Philippines — Artist Rober Alejandro — who became a household name for the early 2000s program “Art Is-Kool” — has died. He was 60.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Robert Alejandro. He joined Our Loving Savior on November 5, 2024,” the Facebook page of Papemelroti confirmed in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening. Alejandro is the co-founder of the stationery company alongside his siblings.
“Although the sorrow is great, we also want to celebrate his life, the many wonderful accomplishments and causes he championed unselfishly.” Alejandro was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016.
Robert Alejandro was a visual artist and TV host. He was the co-founder of Papemelroti. FACEBOOK PHOTO/PAPEMELROTI
“He was a beloved brother, uncle, and friend. Robert was a vibrant, passionate spirit whose creativity, generosity, and warmth endure in the countless lives he has touched,” the post read.
The post also contained an obituary for Alejandro and detailed his many accomplishments in the art world.
A graduate of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines, Alejandro became a teacher at his alma mater and also co-founded Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK), described as the Philippine’s first and only organization of artists committed to the creation and promotion of illustration for children.
An artist all his life, Alejandro “illustrated books, editorials, and has been involved in branding, advertising, outdoor displays, package and product design, visual merchandising, art installation, travel illustration, environmental graphics and space design.” Portraiture was also in Alejandro’s skill set and held art exhibits in this genre.
Alejandro was never fazed by his canvas, as he has done art “from as small as a postage stamp to murals, graphics, and environmental designs for a theme park and gigantic malls (and almost everything in between).” The desire to teach art never left Alejandro despite his many accomplishments. Besides formally teaching at the university and giving local and international talks, Alejandro gave free art lessons in the streets and in cemeteries. During the pandemic, he created Facebook live workshops for kids.
For most children who grew up in the early 2000s, he was “Kuya Robert” in the Art Is-Kool program on GMA where he encouraged his young audience to be creative as art is for everyone and can be done even with inexpensive art materials.
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