de Leon, R.M

Born in Manila in 1960, R.M. de Leon is a highly decorated vanguard of Philippine abstraction. He received his formal training at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Fine Arts, majoring in Painting from 1979 to 1984. He emerged in the 1980s as part of a vital generation of artists shifting the boundaries of local contemporary art.

Alongside a prolific multi-decade exhibition history across premier galleries and museums, de Leon is a dedicated educator. Since 1983, he has served as a core teacher and coordinator for the Children’s Summer Art Workshops in Quezon City, actively shaping the creative foundations of generations of young practitioners.

Major Awards & Distinctions:

1997: First Filipino Awardee of the Vermont Studio Center Studio Arts Program for Painting (Vermont, USA).

1990: Recipient of the prestigious Thirteen Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

1987: Shared the Top Award at the Third Asian Art Biennale in Bangladesh (representing the Philippines alongside artist Gerardo Tan).

Selected Solo Exhibitions:
De Leon maintains an incredibly active studio practice, with recent major showcases tracking modern technological and political anxieties:

2024: We’re in the Business of Hope – Galleria Duemila, Pasay City

2023: Blind Hope, Willful Ignorance... (The State We’re In) – Galleria Duemila, Pasay City

2023: Urgent, Rare & Shameless – Underground Gallery, Makati City

2022: Fed by Algorithms – Finale Art File, Makati City

2021: Human, Nature & Industry – Finale Art File, Makati City

2014: Go Ahead!... Enjoy Looking at Us! – West Gallery, Quezon City

1997: New & Unexhibited Works – Lopez Museum and Library, Pasig City

1989: Luna (Debut Major Solo) – Bulwagang Juan Luna (Main Gallery), Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila

Selected Group Exhibitions & Collaborations:

2024: FREE FALL (Curated by Raul Rodriguez) – Altro Mondo Galleries, Makati City

2023: Major Public Fine Art Commission – Solaire Resort Entertainment City, Vertis North, Quezon City

2014: Tribute (A historic multi-venue memorial exhibition for legacy mentor Roberto Chabet) – Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila

2011: Pretty on the Inside (with Mariano Ching, Felix Bacolor, and Trek Valdizno) – Silverlens, Makati City

1988: Manila-Berlin Exchange Exhibit – Raab Galerie, Berlin, Germany (under the auspices of Pinaglabanan Gallery)

1982: Sining Kamalig Inaugural (Defining four-man exhibition alongside Gerardo Tan, Raul Rodriguez, and Teresa Balatbat) – Manila