Exhibitions

Galerie Joaquin Rockwell is honored to celebrate Senior Master Raul Isidro’s 82nd Birthday with “Infinite Dreams,” an exhibit showcasing works from some of his notable series through the years but particularly highlighting his pieces adorned with silver and gold leaf. 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.

Isidro’s works for this exhibit continue to echo his deep sense of unity with Nature and the Universe, reflecting a spiritual awakening and His purpose of connecting with everything around him. While still deeply personal and rooted in his humble beginnings of growing up in Calbayog, Western Samar, his bold hues take centerstage in this exhibit. The collection presents his own desire to explore endless possibilities while breaking free from limitations and inside the box ideals. His abstractions present opportunities to embrace broader perspectives while breaking down figurations into its simplest forms – lines, shapes and colors inspired by his infinite dreams.

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 25-March 6 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