Lebajo, Raul

Born on September 11, 1941, in Tacloban City, Leyte, Raul Lebajo is an indispensable pillar of contemporary Philippine art history. He discovered his artistic calling in Manila during the mid-1960s, quickly establishing himself as a prodigious talent within the competitive student art circles.

Lebajo’s swift ascent to international prominence was solidified by a historic dual victory at the 1968 Shell National Student Art Competition, where he swept first prize in both the painting and sculpture categories. Over a magnificent multi-decade career, Lebajo has built an immense transnational footprint—securing prestigious American cultural grants, representing the state at major European salons, and headlining solo exhibitions across Chicago, Basel, and Paris while maintaining a long-running, definitive presence in the Philippines' premier modern art galleries.

Education & Academic Training
1969: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) – Philippine Women’s University (PWU), Manila

1965–1967: Core Studio Training – University of the East (UE) School of Fine Arts, Quezon City

Major Awards & Institutional Grants
1998: Chosen State Representative – Beaux-Arts: Art in the World International Exhibition, Paris, France

1989: Joint International Grantee – The Illinois Arts Council Agency and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), USA

1968: Grand Winner / First Prize (Painting Category) – Shell National Student Art Competition

1968: Grand Winner / First Prize (Sculpture Category) – Shell National Student Art Competition

1967: Second Prize (On-The-Spot Painting Category) – Shell National Student Art Competition

Exhibition History
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Lebajo has maintained an extensive run of solo exhibitions, shifting from his historic residency at the legendary Luz Gallery to a long-running partnership with Galleria Duemila:

2003: Kara – Galleria Duemila, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City

2001: Still Life and Dreams – Galleria Duemila, The Art Center, SM Megamall

2000: Raul Lebajo Retrospective – Philippine Heart Center Gallery, Diliman, Quezon City

1999: The Boogie Man – Galleria Duemila, SM Megamall

1998: Tagapagmasid (The Observer) – Galleria Duemila, SM Megamall

1998: Beyond... Drawings – The Drawing Room, Makati City

1995: Lebajo Still Life – Gallery 139, Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa

1994: Blessings – Galleria Duemila, The Art Center, SM Megamall

1993: Self Portrait – Galleria Duemila, SM Megamall

1990: The Mind's Eye – Chicago Cultural Center, West Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1987: Mindscape – Le Plaza Hotel, Basel, Switzerland

1981: Linear Landscape – The Luz Gallery, Makati City

1979: Landscape in Bloom – The Luz Gallery, Makati City

1976: Squarescape – The Luz Gallery, Makati City

1973: Square Landscape – The Luz Gallery, Makati City

1971: Cosmic Dream – The Luz Gallery, Makati City (Breakthrough Surrealist Showcase)

1969: Roto Relief – La Solidaridad Galleries, Manila (Debut Professional Solo Exhibition)

Selected Global Group Exhibitions
His complex, dreamlike visions have consistently represented contemporary Philippine visual culture across prestigious regional and international group surveys:

2001: The End of Growth – Art Center of Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

1998: 13th Asian International Art Exhibition – National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1998: Art in the World – Espace Eiffel Branly / Beaux-Arts, Paris, France

1997: Modern Art Exhibit – Galleria Duemila, The Art Center, SM Megamall

1991: Contemporary Survey Feature – Perimeter Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA

1986: Permanent Collection Survey – Museum of Philippine Art (MOPA), Manila

1980: Contemporary Asian Survey – Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong

1977: Philippine Contemporary Painting – Tübingen, West Germany

1974: 20 Artists – Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), sponsored by the First National City Bank of New York