Angelito “Mang Lito” Antonio is a Filipino painter born in Malolos, Bulacan. Since he was young, he was already earning titles and awards from various contests. He studied at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 1963, he then became one of the faculties where he taught for many years. He is married to the artist Norma Belleza, with three children Marcel, Emil, and Fatima who are also painters.

Studying art in the University of Santo Tomas, he has an art career that spans half a century. Some of the well-known painters were his teacher in the University, this includes: Manansala and Galo Ocampo. His colleagues included National Artist Ang Kiukok, Antonio Austria, Danilo Dalena, Mario Parial, Jaime de Guzman, and Norma Bellza (His wife). More than twenty local and international awards were to his credit, including the Grandprize (1964) and Third prize (1963) on AAP’s Annual art competition and is a member of Art Association of the Philippines and the Saturday Group of Artists.

In 1977, Antonio first showed his works at the Luz gallery, included in this exhibit are four sets of drawings with three to four paintings per set and his 12 monochromatic black and white paintings. Antonio is also a well-decorated artist, with numerous exhibits hosted abroad, particularly in New York and Saigon. Antonio’s style takes roots from foreign artist Picasso. He had experimented greatly with colors to delineate his figures. His works’ themes are taken extensively from folk genre. He is also one of the Masters of Modernism.

Antonio’s more recent works see him moving toward abstraction, or a mix of the abstract and the figurative. He has been labeled both a modernist and an expressionist, successfully crafting an aesthetic that has allowed him to maintain his practice for over 50 years, exhibiting both here and abroad. He is probably one of the last pillars of Modernism, adhering to its core tenet of dynamic expression.