Exhibitions

“Dominic Rubio Mondial” underscores Dominic Rubio’s life-long love for the arts and his masterful depiction of the Filipino through an extensive display of paintings and sculptures.

This exhibit marks two decades of the artist’s successful career and promises to be his most significant show by far. It will be mounted at the Rigodon Ballroom at The Manila Peninsula Hotel on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

Galerie Joaquin, the organizer behind this notable exhibition, is proud to have taken a role in launching the career of Rubio, the master of neo-genre painting. Through the years, the gallery has been a supporter of Rubio’s career as a visual artist. With collaborations that started from humble beginnings for both entities, “Dominic Rubio Mondial” is also a celebration of the artist and the gallery’s flourishing relationship.

Rubio has been described by art critics such as the late Dr. Reuben Canete as the modern-day Damian Domingo with his depictions of various Filipino archetypes.

With his signature and endearing portraits of turn-of-the century Filipino characters with long elongated necks and garbed in period clothes, Rubio highlights the Tipos de Pais genre of Damian Domingo (founding director of Manila’s Academia de Dibujo y Pintura of 1821). In this genre, depiction of the figures, clothes, commerce, and activities of the residents of the Philippine archipelago became part of the country's artistic recorded history whether these be the ilustrado or comprador class, merchants, farm workers, or local folk.

Before the invention of the camera, the Tipos de Pais was the initial encyclopedic impetus in describing the kinds of people (hence, “tipos de pais” or literally, “people type”) who lived in the colony. What Rubio does with the Tipos de Pais is to appropriate its epistemic value as an indicator of personage and class/ethnic station.

The Past as Present

Rubio's success as an artist is in his capability to depict the past as the present. Using scenes from the country’s colorful past, the artist succeeds in drawing his viewers to enter his world and identify with his characters.

Through his art, Rubio explores the deeper meanings and themes that surface beyond the mundane depiction of his characters. These range from valuing family relationships, filial piety, to establishing connections among members of society.

Three themes are dominant in these set of works that the artist is preparing for his “Mondial” exhibition: Old Manila depicting the architecture of yore such as churches and plazas, and traditional garments like the terno and camisa recognizable from this period; Filipino-Chinese ancestry showcasing the Chinoy culture that shaped the Filipinos’ customs and traditions; and Plantation Life reflecting the local folks’ core values of hard work and perseverance. All themes explore the principles of family relationships, filial piety, and the general sense of establishing connections.

Rubio’s aesthetic identity is truly distinct and layered with meanings. While he interprets archaic Filipiniana characters in their everyday setting, the paintings are also the artist’s quest for cultural identity and its relevance in the modern world. Through his chosen genre, Rubio is able to profoundly explore every Juan’s search for a sense of place and heritage.

Born in Paete, Laguna, a lakeshore town famous for its woodcarving tradition, Rubio studied at the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts where he majored in Commercial Arts.

A major show in 2003 at Galerie Joaquin explored his favorite subject of Filipino women during the turn of the century along with other portraits replete with glamor.

Rubio made a mark in the international art scene when Galerie Joaquin in Singapore, chose Rubio’s works for the opening exhibition of the gallery in December 2006. It was a sold-out exhibit. Today, Rubio continues to be a favorite among major collectors in Asia, the U.S. and Canada.

“Dominic Rubio Mondial” will be held at the Rigodon Ballroom of The Manila Peninsula, corner of Ayala and Makati Avenue, Makati City on March 5, 2020. For inquiries, contact Galerie Joaquin at (0917) 582 2115 or (+63) 2 82182831 or email info@galeriejoaquin.com.