Roberto “Robert” Chabet (1937–2013) is recognized as the pioneer of conceptual art in the Philippines, a painter, sculptor, curator, and teacher whose influence shaped generations of Filipino artists. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Santo Tomas in 1961, and that same year held his first solo exhibition at Luz Gallery, marking the beginning of a career that would redefine Philippine contemporary art.
Chabet’s drawings, collages, and constructions reveal both a free spirit and a disciplined mind, executed with precision‑motivated craftsmanship. His sculptures and installations, often minimalist structures built from ordinary objects, are philosophical explorations that challenge prevailing norms and concepts of society.
As the first director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Chabet initiated the Thirteen Artists Awards, designed to recognize and encourage young artists who invent new approaches to art‑making. Through his teaching at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, he nurtured a generation of artists who became the vanguard of Philippine conceptual practice.
Chabet received numerous honors, including the Republic Cultural Heritage Award and the Araw ng Maynila Award for Painting in 1972, and later the CCP Centennial Honor for the Arts in 1999. His works have been exhibited widely, and in his later years he continued to show at venues such as West Gallery, Finale Art File, and Manila Contemporary, affirming his enduring relevance.
