The First Unicorn

There is, to date, only one Philippine startup that has reached unicorn status, or one with a valuation of at least US$1 billion—Revolution Precrafted of Robbie Antonio, who reveals to Chit Lijauco a bit about how his mind works and allows just a peek into his famed art collection

- Chit Lijauco

Privacy, to Robbie Antonio, is as sacred as the artworks of masters that he possesses. Recognised as one of the most important collectors of modern art (he is part of the World’s Top 100 Art Collectors for 2016, as reported by Artnet), invited to major art fora all over the world, Antonio created quite a stir in 2013 when Vanity Fair discussed his home in Manila, designed by no less than Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas himself. The buzz that Antonio created was both a PR agent’s dream and a challenge. But it cannot be denied that at the end of the day, and in the years that followed, people continued to talk about him.

He has only ever given a peek of his home to the media (like a photo of his stairs appearing in Surface magazine). But now, for Philippine Tatler, Antonio opens up more of his home, though still not in its entirety—then again, more than he has ever allowed for any other medium. The graciousness, however, comes with a plethora of do’s and don’ts, to include the number of people allowed inside his much talked about and speculated on home: One.

While magazine cover shoots usually command a cast of art directors, stylists, assistants, make-up artists, set designers, light men, and the photographer, Antonio would not have any of this. From the get-go he laid down his non-negotiable requirement: only the photographer will be allowed in.

So, what you see in these pages is just what Antonio is willing to show—but it’s already quite an eyeful. The dramatic and dazzling works positioned on his lawn and in his basement overwhelm an artistic appetite. Add the names of the artists behind them and the headiness turns into a yearning to see more.