In the dizzying array of works at Art SG, Southeast Asia’s biggest art fair, these Filipino artists truly stand outslot live22
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In her 2021 book “The Art Fair Story: A Rollercoaster Ride,” art market columnist Melanie Gerlis states that while it’s more convenient to look at art online, seeing art in a person is a different kind of experience and craving satisfied.
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“This is partly because of the sheer impact that art can have up close,” she writes, “and also because it is the basis of a rewarding, collective, social experience—which, in turn, amplifies the art.” Gerlis quotes Lucie Kitchener, the chief executive of London’s Masterpiece art fair, as saying, “I am a great believer in shared experiences and in our world, the bringing together of people is at its best at an art fair.”
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For Singapore Art Week, artists from the Philippines are seeing a significant amount of representation, from presentations at S.E.A. Focus with Pacita and Pio Abad with Silverlens, as well as Nice Buenaventura, Cos Zicarelli and Lui Medina with Artinformal.
While the array of art at Art SG is vast, the fair—running from Jan. 17 to 19 at Marina Bay Sands with 105 galleries from 30 countries—features a few standout works by Filipino artists to look out for in its often dizzying lineup.
READ: Frivolity is out, discourse is in at Singapore’s S.E.A. Focus 2025
1. Elmer Borlongan at Ames Yavuz
Originally founded in Singapore with its second space in Sydney, Australia, Yavuz Gallery showcases the work of prominent Filipino painter Elmer Borlongan. The solo presentation shows new works by the artist on paper, transforming his distinctive figurative expressions through ethereal renditions made in coffee and ink.
In his process, the artist uses the residue of his daily morning cups of coffee to paint swathes of brown in varying hues, then overlaid with ink on watercolor paper, depicting the figures in varying expressive states and positions.
Ames Yavuz is located at Booth BA04
2. Various artists at Artinformal Monica Delgado, ‘Decide is When You Do What You’re Supposed to Do’ Pope Bacay, ‘The Elder of the Mound’Artinformal Gallery marks its presence at Singapore Art Week with two distinct showcases: one at S.E.A. Focus and another at Art SG. The curated presentations bring together a compelling roster of artists, including Kristoffer Ardeña, Pope Bacay, Zean Cabangis, Jigger Cruz, Monica Delgado, JC Jacinto, and Elaine Navas.
Ardeña presents sculptural work, while Jacinto mesmerizes with ethereal, abstract geolandscapes that blur the boundaries between natural and imagined terrains. Cruz exhibits an intimate piece, imbued with his signature complex layers. While Cabangis introduces vibrant new works that challenge perceptions of space and memory.
Bacay engages with the visual language of both his landscapes and the conceptual void of the empty frame, juxtaposed with Delgado’s innovative approach of transforming dried paint into three-dimensional sculptural work. Navas completes the ensemble with her meticulous, texturally rich compositions that command closer inspection.
Artinformal is located at Booth BC13
3. Fernando Zóbel at Galería Cayón
Madrid-based Galería Cayón has regularly exhibited the work of long-renowned Spanish-Filipino painter Fernando Zóbel. Made with oil and sand on canvas, the particular work of Zobel was previously exhibited at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid in 2022.
Galería Cayón is located at Booth BD16
READ: The decline of hype and rise of substance: Manila art charges into 2025
4. Benedicto Cabrera at Gajah Gallery
Gajah Gallery is another Singapore-based space that regularly works with the art community in the Philippines. The gallery showcases “Reunion” a bronze sculpture by National Artist Benedicto Cabrera (BenCab). Three figures embrace in the poignant sculptural composition, with an atmosphere of connection and shared intimacy, evoking pensive undertones through the medium-scale forms.
Gajah Gallery is located at Booth BC08
5. Various artists at The Drawing Room Work by Ged Merino Diokno Pasilan Ciane Dayrit
Drawing Room Manila features the work of Cian Dayrit, Ged Unson Merino, and Diokno Pasilan. While each artist presents different mediums, each visualization provokes ideas specific to their individual practices.
On Instagram, The Drawing Room describes Dayrit’s work as one that continues his inquiry on “neoliberal structures and geopolitics… through textile, installations, archival intervention, and community-based workshops.”
Pasilan toys with concepts of memory and material culture as he reconfigures a gantangan, or wooden measuring box, in an assemblage.
Meanwhile, Merino continues to use print and textiles, exploring concepts of mending and repair.
The Drawing Room is located at Booth FC14
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The selection at Art SG highlights the fair’s dedication to pushing the physical and intangible boundaries of contemporary art, through fostering dialogues on diversity from within and around the region.
With more Filipino galleries exhibiting abroad, their steady participation also seems to indicate how drivers of the local art world continue to grow above and beyond, delving into deeper contexts on both the local and global scale.
Photos by Angela Chen
Art SG runs from Jan. 17-18 at Marina Bay Sands2kbet, Singapore