Art Central is all flash and flow: white booths, selfie sticks, and quiet deals sealed with handshakes or credit card swipers. I wasn’t expecting to be called out by a piece of art. But that’s what happened at SHANKAY’s booth, where Venezuelan Eduardo Enrique’s solo presentation stood like a trapdoor in the floor.
Read MoreMetro Manila is continuing to grow as a grassroots art hub, and this April, several galleries are showcasing fresh exhibitions across various genres and mediums. Looking for something new to explore? Here’s your April 2025 guide to the best art shows in the city — or at least some great openings to hit up. Read on for the key details and how to find each of these galleries.
By the time you meet Joris Ghilini, you’ve already walked past the usual suspects—gleaming canvases, conceptual sculptures, and sleek installations arranged with the careful sterility of a gallery catalog shoot. Then you arrive at his corner, and suddenly everything feels like it’s been through something.
Read MoreIn a society wired for purpose, profit, and posts, there’s something radically pure about doing something just because. Not for clout. Not for money. Not even for meaning. Just because it’s fun. That’s the philosophy that drives Jelmer Konjo, a graffiti writer and DIY experimentalist who’s made a career—or more accurately, a life—out of creating in ways that flip off the system while inviting people to touch, explore, and play with the work.
“I come from skateboarding and graffiti,” Konjo says, leaning back like someone who’s had this conversation before—eager to talk about something he’s clearly been macerating in. “Two of the most pointless things you can do growing up. Nobody’s going pro, and even if you do, it doesn’t last long. If I play soccer against another team and I score, there’s a direct result of that. People understand scoring points.”
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Art Fair Philippines has long established itself as the premier platform for exhibiting and selling modern and contemporary Philippine art within the nation’s borders. Founded in 2013 by Lisa Ongpin-Periquet, the fair’s goal is to showcase the best of Philippine contemporary and modern art to an audience that grows wider annually. The fair has historically been held at the same venue: The Link in Makati City. If you’re not familiar with The Link, it’s a carpark. And as a venue, it is one of the characteristics of Art Fair Philippines that set it apart and made it unique globally.
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Kimiyo Mishima is an artist who was born in Osaka in 1932. She kicked off her painting journey as a teenager, but didn’t really find her voice in the 1950s and 60s through art movements like Art Informel, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art. Put them all together, and you have a sort of street art that preceeds the street art movement by 50 years. Mixing techniques like collage and repetitive imagery to get her point across, her work was quite unique for her time. Even today, you see echos of what she made in modern streeet and pop art.
Read MoreOpening this weekend is the second interation of artist-run gallery and ast-space, ForceField’s annual super-show of works from street and graffiti artists in their community.
Here’s a look into the community art event and the unique works that found their way onto the walls.
Read MoreLegendary graffiti artist Stash makes a remarkable comeback with Nike, reimagining his iconic 2006 Air Max design. This refreshed retro style commemorates over two decades of collaboration between Nike and Stash, who was the first artist to ever place his unique touch on a Nike silhouette. The modern iteration incorporates upgraded materials, blending genuine and synthetic leather with durable textiles.
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The lone wolf is an ongoing theme for Pasig native, Jappy Agoncillio. It’s been around a decade now that Jappy has been on the scene in Manila, and some things really never change. That chip on his shoulder has not gone away, despite the significant amount of international and commercial success that he has achieved in just the last couple of years since he packed up his life and migrated to New York City.
Read MoreOn a Wednesday evening, 21 artists presented “The 5th House,” and it’s more than just an art show.
