Angelito Antonio (b. 1939, Bulacan, Philippines) is a celebrated Filipino painter whose career spans over six decades. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Santo Tomas in 1962, studying under masters such as Vicente Manansala and Galo Ocampo. The following year, he held his first solo exhibition at the Philippine Art Gallery (1963), marking the beginning of a prolific career.
Antonio quickly gained recognition, winning three awards from the Shell National Students Art Competition and later securing six awards in 1970, affirming his place among the country’s most accomplished artists. In 1984, he received the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila, one of the highest honors for cultural achievement.
A genre painter, Antonio is known for distorting his figures into decorative forms, merging them seamlessly with objects and elements of their surroundings. In the 1970s, his brand of neo‑realism became distinct from his contemporaries: he defined shapes with linear clarity, then softened adjacent areas into washed‑out tones, creating a unique interplay of precision and atmosphere. In his more recent canvases, his palette has shifted toward intense, opaque colors, giving his works a renewed vibrancy and depth.
Antonio’s art reflects both innovation and tradition, capturing Filipino life through a lens that is at once modernist and deeply rooted in cultural identity. His legacy continues to inspire, not only through his own works but also through his family of artists, making the Antonio name a cornerstone of Philippine contemporary art.
