Exhibitions

Galerie Joaquin is honored to present “Raul Isidro at 80” a birthday exhibition featuring 80 of the artist’s works. While most are especially created for this momentous exhibit, a selection was also culled from the artist’s expansive oeuvre showcasing some of his notable series in his almost 6 decades in the industry. Isidro, one of the country’s foremost abstract artists today is a pioneer in Philippine abstraction and was among the first abstractionists to incorporate indigenous Philippine designs, symbols, and motifs in his paintings, resulting in highly-organized works that exude a sense of calm and serenity while representing his technique of masterful brushstrokes and unique style.

The collection for this exhibit is deeply personal, showcasing works inspired by his childhood in Calbayog, Western Samar. His familiar forms and shapes explore abstracted views of Nature, depicting it as imagery, organic yet striking. He has both depth and range in the usage of his colors with a combination of bold hues and more subdued earthen tones. Isidro remains true to his purpose of defining Nature’s complexity in its innate power and beauty. His abstractions also seek to break down figurations into its essence – lines, shapes and colors that give us an almost illuminating simplicity.

“Raul Isidro at 80” celebrates the life and works of an artist who is intrinsically connected to everything around him. He continues to live with a constant pursuit for excellence within the ever-evolving artistic landscape. Isidro continues to be inspired by life’s simple pleasures and his art continues to mirror the joys of a life well lived.

Raul Isidro (b. 1943) is a product of the Fine Arts program of the University of Santo Tomas, where he finished with a degree in Advertising. He first exhibited at Solidaridad Bookstore’s Gallery in 1969, at the invitation of National Artist for Literature and Solidaridad owner F. Sionil Jose. He has garnered multiple awards such as inclusion in 1979's group of Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM), and the Outstanding Thomasian Award in 2006--an honor he shares with Ramon Orlina. He also won the Cultural Grant Award from the Australian government in 1981 and was a 1st prize awardee at the Printmakers Association of the Philippines Annual competition in 1972. It was also in 1972 that Isidro began what eventually became a long association with the Fine Arts program of the Philippine Women’s University (PWU), where he nurtured the department which was founded by pioneering printmaker Manuel Rodriguez Sr. Through his tenure at PWU, where he eventually became Director of the College of Fine Arts in 1975, Isidro became heavily involved in printmaking--which also served to enhance his approach to painting. He is also a sculptor and had experimented with the use of gold leaf on canvas as a medium in the late 80’s while in the United States, but had shown it publicly only in the early 90’s.

Demonstrating his creative genius in numerous media as a professional artist, Isidro's artistic accomplishments and creativity has been showcased in various art exhibitions locally and in foreign shores including Germany, Israel, Spain, China, the Netherlands, Australia, and the United States. He shares his time in promoting art and honing talents of next generation artists by mentoring them and oftentimes serving as a judge in local competitions.

The exhibition will run from February 23-March 4, 2023 at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell with an Artist Reception on March 1 at 5 p.m. The gallery is located at R3 Level, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center, Makati. For inquiries, contact Galerie Joaquin at +63 915 414 5502 or email galeriejoaquinrockwell@gmail.com