INDEPENDENT contemporary art gallery and art consultancy Modeka Art will put up a sizeable group exhibition featuring 27 visual artists this weekend at Xavier Art Fest (XAF) 2023. This year’s edition of the annual event will run from January 27 to 29 at the Xavier San Juan Sports Center and Quadrangle.
Harnessing “energy forces” to maximize luck under belief systems such as the Chinese Zodiac deal with time-specific variables. The year of one’s birth, for example, determine what colors are most auspicious, or what numbers must be avoided.
IT wasn’t until last month’s grand 20th anniversary celebration when Galerie Joaquin owner and president Jack Teotico realized the breadth and scale of the group’s accomplishments.
It’s a loaded combination of exhibitions and art fair showcases around these parts and the world that Silverlens opens the new year.
IN 1963, academician Edward Lorenz published a paper, titled Deterministic Nonperiod Flow.
IT may have taken 50 odd years (“50 [years old na nga] ’ata ako, tatanong ko ulit nanay ko, kinalimutan ko na bilangin), a legendary music career, his fair share of ups and downs, but eclectic multihyphenate Marcus Adoro finally arrives at his moment as a bona fide exhibiting visual artist.
FOR the 2nd edition of The Manila’Bang Show that opens on Thursday, December 8, Art Elaan (@artelaan) presents three super-sized, genre-classified group exhibitions, featuring top Filipino artists.
IT was an alignment of the stars as the Asian Television Awards (ATA) mounted its first in-person showcase for the first time in two years at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City last week.
Straight from a flight and sharp in his suit, Fendi Casa CEO Alberto Da Passano made one thing clear during the recent media launch of the brand’s showroom in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
A PAIR of local contemporary art fairs running their sophomore editions this year present a bigger showcase featuring Filipino artists.
IF the past few pandemic-ridden years inflicted the abstract melancholy of autumn and casted the freezing gloom of winter, this year we got the first scent of spring.
A remarkable ascent in the corporate ladder fills the professional social-media page of Lazada PH’s CEO Carlos Otermin Barrera. After scrolling past details about his ongoing seven-year tenure with the e-commerce giant, however, wherein he mostly spent only two years in a post before getting promoted, an interesting tidbit about him sits in the education section.
WHAT happens when one finds shelter in the isolation during a pandemic, but is demanded to rejoin a reopening world? What of the fine line between tranquility and tumult? And does having diverse interests attenuate the legitimacy of practice?
VISUAL artists Herbert Pajarito and Sam Penaso showcased their latest works in respective, recently concluded solo exhibitions with Art Lounge Manila-The Podium, Ortigas Center (@artloungemanila). The shows ran from October 23 to 31.
It’s a twin solo showcase for Silverlens Manila in November as Luis Lorenzana proceeds with his long-standing pursuit of understanding artistic expression, while Pow Martinez illustrates our collective recent past.
MUCH of the past decade’s discourse on digital transformation once seemed more of a distant sci-fi future than an actual possibility for the thriving culture and entertainment sectors.
FOR visual artist Christian Tamondong, the concept of letting loose and having fun usually involves the creation of fantastic realms. Such is what transpired recently when the artist had to make a choice—one that proved to be easy and ultimately auspicious.
Elaborate and lived out his depictions of cities may seem, with landmarks standing tall and stories on the ground taking shape, Rudy Yu maintains his artworks are not maps.
Sharing an ecosystem of innovation across various sectors and, more importantly, connecting with people top the priority list of the Ambassador of Israel to the Philippines Ilan Fluss.
CEBUANO painters in solo showcases come in threes in Art Elaan’s latest exhibition line-up. The shows opened yesterday, September 26, and will be on view until October 15.
THERE is no limit to the range of emotions that enfold an artist in the face of a major solo exhibition. For Kenneth Montegrande, who’s set to present at ManilArt next month, there is only an overwhelming sense of gratitude and excitement.
Acclaimed writer Jose Dalisay Jr. could not have articulated better the modern currency of heroism in the exhibition notes of visual artist Juanito Torres’ new solo show.
FOLLOWING years of pandemic-induced delay, the Conferment Ceremonies for the distinguished recipients of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining in 2020 will be held on September 2, 6 pm, at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, or the CCP Main Theater.
MOTION characterizes the latest round of presentations at Silverlens in Makati City—in terms of visuals for a group show and the concept of a one-man exhibition.
“A self-contained short story in an ongoing narrative.”
TO be branded as Promethean is to be daringly original, creative, imaginative.
FROM beneficent protectors to agents of chaos, from slithery serpents to winged wyverns, there’s a rich variation in the concept of dragons across civilizations.
AN exploration of the role of pain in growth, the latest turn in an artistic evolution, and a bisensory presentation of optical textures. These comprise the three upcoming exhibitions at Art Elaan (www.artelaan.com) in Ayala Malls Manila Bay.
FROM national artists to emerging talents, from realism to abstractions, it’s a wide array of names and styles presented in the latest exhibition at Conrad Manila’s Gallery C.
A JOINT fashion exhibition between Septième Rebelle and Fundacion Sansó christens Art Lounge Manila’s new flagship space in Alabang, site of the gallery’s first location.
Watercolorists gush over the multi-faceted allure of the medium. Some hail its luminosity and transparency, while others laud its immediacy. Meanwhile, not a few say watercolor painting is not so much about setting down paint as “releasing” it, with the colors having a stake in the outcome, leaving space for spontaneity and organic movement.
MANY remain guilty of having a “reactive or seasonal approach” when it comes to boosting one’s immunity. The idea of drinking a warm cup of calamansi juice, for example, no matter how healthy and easy to prepare it is, often only comes when one already feels an incipient cold.
BRANDED as the “most popular free music event celebrated in 130 countries around the world,” Fête de la Musique marks its first in-person celebrations in the Philippines this month since the pandemic began.
IT’S a trio of one-artist exhibitions this month at Art Elaan, featuring visual artists Nikko Pelaez, Binong Javier and Faye Pamintuan in their respective new shows.
A CARTOONISH subject with blue complexion dons an orange bucket hat with shorts to match. He dashes past while spinning a basketball on his left index finger, as a cup of taho hovers on his head. Meanwhile, three other vibrant-skinned characters, this time women, personify Manila culture in one frame, featuring street food, street art, and—again—basketball.
“IT wouldn’t matter if you lived until you were 75,” Keith Haring, the iconic American pop artist who died in 1990 at age 31, once said. “There would still be new ideas. There would still be things that you wished you would have accomplished.”
THE uncertainties wrought by the ongoing global health crisis, the divisions cracked by the election season. Amid the various events and consequences hounding us, a visual artist and a mother of two shines the light of maternal love this May.
It’s an exhibition title that encapsulates timing and intention.
IMAGINATION transcends creating fantastic worlds and galaxies; it involves looking at small things from new perspectives as well. In terms of word selection, the simpler, the better. These are some of the literary tips and trade secrets imparted by two decorated figures in Philippine literature in a webinar over the weekend, titled “Aba, gusto mo pala magsulat!”
The annual fair Art in the Park makes a comeback to its home venue this week, while running exhibits online and featuring an NFT marketplace for the first time.
Spencer Ozo would pass through Conrad Manila’s Gallery C every day feeling inspired by the artworks. When no one was around to appreciate the pieces, and when he was not attending to his duties as the hotel’s assistant front office manager, he would take his time to gaze upon the paintings, studying colors, techniques, stories.
IN an effort to energize the local creative economy by generating original intellectual property (IP) content that reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Board of Trustees has earmarked around P20 million in development funding for the launching of the CCP Grants.
SMALL children take on gargantuan roles in the ongoing twin solo exhibitions of Galerie Stephanie. They get familiar with monsters, voyage into the unknown, and ultimately invite us to uncharted perspectives.
ARTIST network and wellness lifestyle brand Grounded rolled out recently States of Cadence II, the follow-up presentation to the group’s first online group exhibition last year.
TAGGED as the country’s premier art fair, Art Fair Philippines is returning tomorrow, March 23, for its first physical exhibition since 2020. The fair will run until April 1.
“WE don’t actually enjoy the final print,” National Artist Awards nominee for Visual Arts Fil Delacruz said of the thrill in printmaking. “[Rather], the artist, the printmaker, enjoys the process—the tedious process. It’s a technique that requires patience and determination for the pursuit of artistic excellence.”
It’s a full slate of shows for Art Elaan at this year’s Art Fair Philippines, set to run in a hybrid format from March 23 until April 1.
A STRONG sense of hope and optimism prevailed in a recent online forum that tackled the post-pandemic future of art practice and art management.
THE fortnightly webcast series of non-profit organization The Climate Reality Project Philippines, titled Klimatotohanan, joins the celebration of National Arts Month this February by centering its most recent episode on one question: “Can art help save the planet from the prevailing climate emergency?”
AN American men’s magazine posited earlier this month that today’s downtown scenesters—embraced in the fashion world for their avant-garde style characterized by slouchy blazers and fuzzed-up sweaters—trace their roots to stand-up personalities of yesteryears. It just so happens that the inspiration, the look of a “’90s comedian,” are “about the two least stylish words imaginable.”
THE invaluable role of the arts amid difficult moments serves as the focal point of this year’s celebration of National Arts Month, with the theme “Sining ng Pag-Asa.”
A loaded juxtaposition between two one-artist exhibitions is on view until February 19 at Art Elaan.
If art in its broadest sense is a form of expression, then individuality is its precious currency.
“When I think of death, and of late the idea has come with alarming frequency, I seem at peace with the idea that a day will dawn when I will no longer be among those living in this valley of strange humors.
A woman with an open palm beside her mouth shouting hamos—Bicolano for “join us”—anchors a recently unveiled mural by veteran and young Bicolano artists that aims to promote good governance and social justice.
Showcases of multiple artists conclude the exhibition calendar of several local galleries for 2021. Here are some of the ongoing year-end group shows:
EVERYTHING was set for the next solo exhibition of visual artist Distort Monsters. He had the dates secured and the pieces in place for a showcase that would further his transition from doing street art into gallery exhibits, while retaining his credibility as a street artist.
A typically-resigned head of Squidward from Spongebob Squarepants attached to the body of a flying Super Mario hovers on the left side, just above a grinning Majin Buu with its eyes popping out. Opposite the Dragon Ball Z villain is a corncob with the limbs and clothes of Mickey Mouse.
WITH the spirit of this year’s holiday season shining like the first ray of sunlight after a spell of gloom, it was more than blue and white light bulbs that were lit at the recent Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Conrad Manila.
AN expansive one-man exhibition of noted abstract expressionist Edwin Wilwayco serves as the maiden presentation of the equally expansive new Galerie Joaquin branch in BGC.
WHERE do you retreat when overcome by fear and anxiety? In the presence of loved ones? The corners of your thoughts? In the darkness of denial or the light of perspective?
FROM glowing under the spotlight onstage, titans of Philippine performance art Nonoy Froilan and Edna Vida share the track lights of the exhibition space for the first time together as visual artists.
WATER runs deep in the life of Darby Alcoseba as a visual artist.
ManilART returns for the 13th year from October 20 to 24 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier in Taguig City, with the theme “Continuing Legacies.”
Subjectivity in art applies not only to how the audience consumes artworks. Artists, even in the infancy of the artmaking process, often perceive inspiration in ways other than what it simply means.
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) introduced last week the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Folio, the official publication of the highest award given by the premier art institution to deserving Filipino artists and cultural workers.
“Holistic arts and culture studio” Grounded opened its first online group exhibition last week that presents the creations of grassroots and emerging artists.
THE panel of judges at the recently concluded 2021 Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) of the Metrobank Foundation Inc. (MBFI) expressed their high hopes on the future of the Philippine art scene.
A PIONEERING group exhibit brings to the fore the defining role of artists from the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the country’s modernist art movement, presenting a rich collection of Thomasian talents across generations and genres.
Artist groups pushing for social justice converged to examine how art and activism cross paths to rally and protest against oppressive regimes.
Silverlens returns for the third time as the only Philippine gallery to participate in the Basel show of international art fair Art Basel next month, set to present the works of the late Filipino-American artist Pacita Abad.
THE latest omnibus guidelines released on August 6 by the IATF-EID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) enumerate the essential establishments allowed to operate under the highest lockdown orders implemented in the National Capital Region. As was the case during the previous two enhanced community quarantine periods in NCR, not included in list are museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits.
YOU may not know it but visual artist JEFRË has already made you look.
IT began as a creative release of an artist who has had enough.
“THE art of Leonilo “Neil” Doloricon was from the very beginning honed as a weapon for crafting society as part of a much larger social movement,” reads the statement of IBON Foundation on the passing of the noted artist and educator, who was a long-time member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. “To the end of his days and through all his works that outlive his passing, there was no other kind of art to be made.”
ART in the Park 2021 returns for a special second edition that starts on July 25, as part of the fair’s 15th anniversary celebration.
Established and emerging Filipino artists take centerstage in a week-long collaborative showcase between Art Anton and Art Elaan, opening this Friday at S Maison.
Three solo shows that each deal with themes of transition and passage to some degree fill the latest exhibition lineup of Silverlens.
LOCAL design organizations Design Advisory Council and the Design Center of the Philippines, led by the Communication Design Association of the Philippines (CDAP), recently launched a campaign that applies design thinking and the theory of positive reinforcement to nudge Filipinos to remain vigilant against Covid-19.
IT was in 1521 when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached Philippine shores under the banner of the Spanish Empire after pledging allegiance to King Charles I, following a fallout with Portugal’s King Manuel over rewards for his services. His arrival sparked more than three hundred years of Spanish rule and led to the establishment of a new religion in these parts.
‘I’M pretty sure no artist wants to be stuck in a box.”
A dance of drama, movement and expression take centerstage at Art Elaan this month.
Makati-based auction house Leon Gallery puts coveted artworks and furniture under the hammer in its annual auction every halfway point of the year, happening this Saturday, June 5.
NATIONAL Artist for Visual Arts Arturo Luz passed away on Wednesday night. He was 94 years old.
It is April 2020 and the world is gripped by fear and uncertainty. Covid-19 was just declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic a month ago, and vaccine research and development are still ways away.
A 19th-century oil painting on canvas, titled Santisima Trinidad, attributed to Filipino painter Justiniano Asuncion, go under the hammer this Saturday, May 22, along with other religious artworks and Filipino-European objets d’art in the Segundo auction of Casa de Memoria.
One nearly gave up on an art career before trying his hand at crypto art. Another had to grapple with self-marketing in a space devoid of middlemen. Despite the varying experiences, however, everyone shared the same view that the new space is here to stay.
Mono8 Gallery dives into the world of crypto art with its new, groundbreaking exhibition ahead of Art Fair Philippines 2021, which in itself will focus on NFTs, or non-fungible token.
ANNUAL contemporary art event Art Fair Philippines is going virtual for the first time when it opens next month, featuring talks and programs designed to take its audience up to speed with the surging popularity of digital art in the global art scene.
Singapore-based art space artcommune gallery will be presenting next month the first-ever retrospective survey of the entire body of ink work of Chinese-born Singaporean painter Cheong Soo Pieng, who is considered as one of the most innovative Chinese artists of the 20th century.
THE prolific design career of Carlo S. Tanseco has seen him break through in the different sectors of the industry. From product design to furniture and commercial creations, the architecture graduate from the University of the Philippines pursues excellence with steely resolve and artistic flair in every venture.
Singapore-based art space artcommune gallery will be presenting next month the first-ever retrospective survey of the entire body of ink work of Chinese-born Singaporean painter Cheong Soo Pieng, who is considered as one of the most innovative Chinese artists of the 20th century.
THE prolific design career of Carlo S. Tanseco has seen him break through in the different sectors of the industry. From product design to furniture and commercial creations, the architecture graduate from the University of the Philippines pursues excellence with steely resolve and artistic flair in every venture.
Understanding the life journey of visual artist Binong Javier reveals an important truth about his art. What appears to be cohesive explosions of colors—meticulously applied drop by painstaking drop—are actually a mapping of a constellation of experiences, wherein the artist highlights in equal parts the individuality of moments and the role they play in the big picture.
ON the wall of the Fundacion Sansó lobby in San Juan reads the words of the late critic Leo Benesa. “I realize that [Juvenal] Sansó’s subject matter is the ‘inner eye,’” the text goes, “the artist looking into himself.”
FOUR one-man shows comprise the latest exhibition lineup of Art Elaan, featuring artists who have distinguished themselves in their own artistic expressions. The foursome of solos opened on Friday and are on view until the end of the month.
THERE is no shortage of literature about characters having some and wanting it all.
WHAT passes at first glance as an innocent, surrealist depiction of a class picture of white-uniformed students reveals a grim element at closer inspection. Lurking in the background over the shoulder of one subject with a splitting face is the personification of death, its head tilted toward the direction of the unsuspecting young girls and its hallow eyes darted at their souls.
