Dominic Rubio

Dominic Rubio

A founding member of the Guevarra and Blumentritt Group of artists, Dominic Rubio was born in Paete, Laguna, the Lakeshore town famous for its woodcarving tradition. He studied at the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts where he majored in commercial arts. He first worked briefly as artist in one of the largest multi-national advertising agencies in the country, Puris Lintas of Manila. Later, he lived and worked in Pearl Farm, an upscale resort located Davao del Sur. It was here that as part-time in-house artist he found time to travel around the Caraga Region in Northern Mindanao, learning about the Mandaya and Tiboli tribes. He also lived with the Bilaans and the Badjaos farther down south of Mindanao.

Rubio first exhibited his works at the Ad Infinitum, delving on the subject of women, mother and child, the ethnic Filipina as depicted in her day-to-day chores amid the surrounding landscape. A major show in 2003 at Galerie Joaquin explored his favorite subject of Filipino women in the context of an evolving sensibility as shown in the figures and faces from an earlier period at the turn of the century as well as a suite of updated portraits replete with glamour from the distaff side.

Since then Rubio who has become a favorite among major collectors in Asia, the U.S. and Canada has held major exhibitions where his signature figures in turn of the century garb with elongated necks have been a big hit with audiences. Dubbed as “people types," art critics have said that with these figures, Rubio has shown a proud race that can hold its own in the community of nations.

Rubio's works have done well in auctions such as Sotheby's, Christie's, Borobudur, Larasati, and Masterpiece.


Dominic Rubio, born 1970 in the Philippines, studied at the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts where he majored in commercial arts. Rubio’s first exhibition was dedicated to the painting of ethnic Filipinas in their roles as a child, a woman and a mother.

In 2006, the then unheralded Rubio, presented a solo exhibition that would make him internationally recognisable and respected as a contemporary artist of our time. Rubio explored Philippine’s colonial past in his new compositions and added human figures rendered with long, thin, attenuated necks and round lollipop visages in their quaint attire and garb. He explains that “holding one’s head high” is an important human trait and this collective pride will enable his people and country to hold its own in the community of nations. Together with his exquisite workmanship, his new compositions became an instant hit with art lovers.

Today, Rubio continues to explore this latest composition using panoramic background of not just a typical Philippine environment, but also other Asian cultures. For this, he travels widely to visualise and internalise the richness and diversity of the different Asian cultures which he then translates into his paintings.

Rubio has held several major exhibitions and his works are being extensively acquired in Asia, USA and Canada.

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