Rosalio “Ros” B. Arcilla, Jr., born in Camarines Sur, Philippines, is a painter and sculptor whose career bridges Philippine tradition and international modernism. He obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines in 1960, later pursuing advanced sculpture at the University of Hawaii in 1975. His studies continued in Europe when he became a scholar of the French government at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, further refining his artistic vision.
Arcilla is best known as the founder of the “Assertionism” movement in painting, a philosophy that emphasizes art as a force of conviction and presence. His canvases are marked by bold strokes, vibrant palettes, and symbolic imagery that assert meaning and identity. Alongside painting, he developed a strong reputation in sculpture, particularly in figurative abstraction in bronze. As art historian Santiago Pilar noted, Arcilla’s forms are “schematized into the essence of the subject, mainly along geometric simplification.”
His achievements include winning both the Grand Prize and First Prize for The Dream at the Art Association of the Philippines Annual in 1978. He also taught sculpture at the University of the East and served as a board member of the Society of Philippine Sculptors, helping nurture the next generation of artists.
Arcilla’s career has been highly international, with solo exhibitions across Europe, North America, and Asia, including the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle in Bonn, the Stadt Museum in Düsseldorf, the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Madrid, the Chelsea Gallery in London, the Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the Sunrise Gallery in Las Vegas, the Baron Arts Center in New Jersey, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Los Angeles, Gallery 7 in Toronto, the National Gallery of Thailand, and the International Exhibition and Convention Center in Hong Kong.
In 2001, he was commissioned by the Cheng family to create the bronze bust of Senator Benigno Aquino, which was installed at the airport named in Aquino’s honor in 2008. His art has also been documented in publications, most notably Private as Thought by Cid Reyes, which explores his philosophy and creative journey.
