Achacoso, Ronald

A UP bachelor of Fine Arts graduate majoring in Painting in the studio arts in 1988, Ronald Achacoso had his first solo exhibit at the CCP in the same year using the exhibition for my thesis entitled, On the Origin of the Species, an unabashed homage to Darwin. Mentored by Roberto Chabet, this first exhibit was followed by several solo exhibitions and group shows following the same Darwinian themes. He has curated several shows and won the Leo Benesa award for art criticism in 1993 and 1994. Achacoso became a recipient of the 13-artists award in 2000.

Ronald met the eminent field botanist Leonardo Co who founded Philippine Native Plant Conservation Society PNPCSI) in 2007 of which he became one of its original members and member of its board for 6 yrs. Through Leonard Co, he was properly introduced to the realm of Philippine botany.

At this point in his artistic journey to the creation of the arboretum, Achacoso developed a desire to work on a much bigger canvas and explore the element of modern man’s expulsion from the primeval Eden and the quest to return from exile

The arboretum is a fortuitous site offered by Pinto Museum to represent Ronald’s interest in the environment, evolution and ecology and my analogy to the art making process, wherein the environment is the canvas, evolution is the process and ecology its synthesis.