Daniel H. Dizon got his early training in art from his father, the celebrated Prof. Vicente Alvarez Dizon, which paved the way to a job as staff artist in an art department in Clark Airbase, Pampanga. Later, he took further art courses and earned a diploma from Art Instruction Inc. in Minneapolis, U.S.A. in 1951.
In a nationwide search in 1959, he won the Melquiades M. Castro Scholarship for art at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts and was subsequently awarded a gold medal for “Best Fine Arts Student of the Year” by the Art Association of the Philippines.
After consistently maintaining his scholarship, Dizon graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 1973, another award as “Most Outstanding Filipino Alumnus” came from his alma mater in Minneapolis. That same year, he made history when he became the very first Filipino artist whose painting was accepted for permanent display at the Yasukuni Shrine Museum in Tokyo, Japan.
Dan’s first solo exhibition, “Evolution of the American Military Uniform, 1775-1976”,a U.S. bicentennial commemorative exhibit, combined his art with his passion for history. His fascination with the Japanese soldier made him the first and only Filipino artist to date to paint 30 World War II paintings showing the combat uniforms of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces as he actually saw them.
When he moved to Guam, as he became an art teacher, he went on to win both First Prizes in two historical competitions about Guam. Dizon’s history-laden art career made history again when he did 15 historical paintings called “Evolution of the Filipino Revolutionary Combat Uniforms” as his tribute to the Philippine Centennial celebration, now on permanent display at the Museo ning Angeles in his home city. Dizon’s place in history of military art is now secured.
