Arts & Culture

Design Delight: Furniture and Decor Special Settings and Innovative Maker’s Market

This mix of over-the-top ideas from homegrown innovators give Cebu’s creative community something to take pride in. When there’s the passion to create, the opportunity to connect and just the right luck to cultivate your idea, that’s when makers get the most out of their art and craft.

A feast of various creations from different artists and designers graced the halls of Waterfront Cebu Hotel and Casino from June 19-June 20 as one of the exhibits for Cebu Design Week 2018. Cebu’s creative scene has been flourishing with award-winning designers and creatives recognized not only in the Philippines, but also around the world.

Incorporating a number of different elements such as the use of rattan, shells and weaved cloth, designers surely made waves with their modernized nature-themed crafts. Playing with color and a number of different shapes and sizes for their chair, table and cabinet furniture designs, the Cebu Design Week’s Special Settings display was a testament of these visionaries all over Cebu.

A collaboration with different companies, the designers made the designs exude the aura and image of Cebu and its bountiful natural resources useful for sustainable design. A hub for the creation of cutting-edge ideas that echo a vision for inclusive progress, Cebu’s growth in the creative community is deemed to be rapid.

Apart from top-of-the-line furniture and home decor designs visible to a number of enthusiasts, a caucus of artists who took their creative eye and skills to greater heights by going in on a business venture filled the Maker’s Market. More than being awed by their designs and innovative creations, art bums and adventurous people alike had the chance to take one home with a fair price.

From temporary tattoos designed to match your everyday get-up to a concoction of ginger ale and lemon made into the perfect afternoon drink-outs, the bunch was a truly a hodgepodge of great money-making ideas that catch consumers’ attention.

Dawn Sy, a culinary graduate and owner of Mister Garfield’s Old Fashioned Ginger Ale, made up the business idea to pave way for other beverages in the food industry.

“‘Cause usually, you find alcohol, sodas, water and juices, yet no one is making hard sodas,” shares Dawn.

The idea was to come up with a product that is just in the middle of alcohol and sodas that would surely be a treat for drinkers anytime of the day. It’s designed to get the feel of soda, but a kick of alcohol that doesn’t mess up your busy day with the typical weekend mood, adds Dawn.

Only a year on its run, the beverage is available at Albur’s Restaurant, with its 2 flavors, original flavor and the Sagada orange.

Seed Studio PH’s wooden toys—made from natural, untreated wood—were a show stopper for those looking for exquisite gifts. Toys in different forms such as wooden cooking sets, cone ring stackers and balance blocks, to name a few, were some of the displays in the market.

In contrast with battery-operated, automatic, and plastic toys, wooden toys are simple, which is an advantage as they bring children closer to nature, having endless possibilities for their imagination to soar. Simple toys are often those that stay with the children through many years of play, and that is the idea that gave birth to the Seed Studio PH’s vision.

Wanting to get a tattoo so bad but not yet sure if you’d want it with you for the rest of your life? Inklie developed an innovative way to experience the feeling of having a tattoo and to able to express themselves in their own unique way—without getting the actual one!

“It started with the goal to get away from the stigma of having tattoos, which are literally everywhere,” says Katrina Codera, an Advertising Arts Intern, when talking about the craft’s humble beginnings.

This mix of over-the-top ideas from homegrown innovators give Cebu’s creative community something to take pride in. When there’s the passion to create, the opportunity to connect and just the right luck to cultivate your idea to a piece that your market has been looking for, that’s when makers get the most out of their art and craft.

Arts & Culture

Art Beat: Scenes From the Manila Art Fair 2026

photography by Doro Barandino

“Art is unpredictable and goes in different directions. I have no idea. I would rather live the present moment.” —Bencab, National artist of the Philippines.

Vinta by Protegeri, collaboration art piece by Leeroy New, Solenn Heuseff and Vito Selma

Q&A with interior decorator and jewellery designer Doro Barandino

Which of the participating art galleries had the most unified and exciting theme?
Leon Gallery had the most amazingly put-together collection. Though the gallery engaged various artists, the overall visual effect felt like one unified theme. Leon Gallery used a sack-like cloth (most likely raw linen) as the background for the booth, and it brought the collection together. It had an old-world feel in a chaotic setting.

Who were the artists that were the most visually engaging?
The works of Carlo Tanseco were definitely my favorite. The artist used an eye chart (Snellen chart) as the background for the image of Dr. Jose Rizal giving us the middle finger—such an “in your face” message. The concept of our national hero as a modern-day provocateur was a wake-up call to everyone. Very subversive and underground material. I was also attracted to the works of Japanese artist Tadashi Kogure; they’re very architectural.

Was the choice of venue and its layout helpful in engaging the whole art vibe?
What I noticed was that the masters like Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, and Fernando Zóbel still attracted the most viewers at the art fair. People are naturally drawn to their masterful strokes and historical significance, or perhaps these artworks are not readily accessible for public viewing. Or maybe those booths that carried the masters’ works were strategically positioned right after the registrar.

The choice of venue at Center One was a good move—it created a total art vibe. Manila Art Fair remains the premier art fair in the country today, showcasing the finest modern and contemporary art while offering curated projects and immersive installations.

The Standard by Thai artist Pitchapa at the Triangular durational, performance art.

Bato Bato sa Langit by Filipino artist Carlo Tanseco

Stocking Proportions Menumpuk Proporsi by Indonesian artist Labadiou Piko

Untitled by Indonesian artist Yunizar

Filipiny, wool tapestry by national artist of the Philippines,Federico Aguilar Alcuaz.

Untitled by German artist Valentin Elias Renner

Interior decorator and jewellery designer Doro Barandino is also a regular contributor for zee.ph

Arts & Culture

Visayas Art Fair Year 5: Infinite Perspectives, Unbound Creativity

by Jing Ramos

This year’s Visayas Art Fair marks its 5th anniversary, celebrating the theme “Infinite Perspectives: Unbound Creativity.” The fair continues its mission of bridging creativity, culture, and community in the country. This milestone edition strengthens its partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and expands collaborations with regional art organizations and collectives—reinforcing its role as a unifying platform for Philippine art.

VAF5 features the works of Gil Francis Maningo, honoring the mastery of his gold leaf technique on opulent portraits of the Visayan muse Carmela, reflecting spiritual awareness.

Gil Francis Maningo is celebrated for his gold leaf technique.

Gil Francis Maningo’s recurring theme of his Visayan muse “Carmela”.

Another featured artist is Danny Rayos del Sol, whose religious iconography of Marian-inspired portraits offers a profound meditation on the sacred and the sublime. This collaboration between two visual artists sparks a dialogue on the Visayan spirit of creativity and resilience. Titled “Pasinaya,” this dual showcase explores gold leaf as a medium of light and transcendence.

Artist Danny Reyes del Sol

Danny Reyes del Sol’s religious iconography.

Now in its fifth year, the Visayas Art Fair has influenced a community of artists, gallerists, brokers, collectors, museum curators, and art critics—constructing a narrative that shapes how we approach and understand the artist and his work. This combination of factors, destined for popular consumption, illustrates the ways in which art and current culture have found common ground in a milieu enriched by the promise of increased revenue and the growing value of artworks.

Laurie Boquiren, Chairman of the Visayas Art Fair, elaborates on the theme, expressing a vision that celebrates the boundless imagination of unique artistic voices:

“Infinite Perspectives speaks of the countless ways artists see, interpret, and transform the world around them—reminding us that creativity knows no single point of view. Unbound Creativity embodies freedom from convention and controlled expression, allowing every artist to explore and experiment without borders.”

Laurie Boquiren, Chairman of the Visayas Art Fair has tirelessly championed the creative arts for the past five years.

Arts & Culture

Kultura. Kapital. Kasalukuyan: Art that Speaks of Today

by Jose Carlos G. Campos, Board of Trustees National Museum of the Philippines

The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recently teamed up to prove that money isn’t just for counting—it’s also for curating! Their latest joint exhibition, Kultura. Kapital. Kasalukuyan: Contemporary Art from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection, is now open, and it’s a real treat for art lovers and culture buffs alike.

On display are gems from the BSP’s contemporary art collection, including masterpieces by National Artist Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab), along with works by Onib Olmedo, Brenda Fajardo, Antipas Delotavo, Edgar Talusan Fernandez, and many more. Some of the artists even showed up in person—Charlie Co, Junyee, Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, Demi Padua, Joey Cobcobo, Leonard Aguinaldo, Gerardo Tan, Melvin Culaba—while others sent their family representatives, like Mayumi Habulan and Jeudi Garibay. Talk about art running in the family!

Deputy Governor General of the BSP, Berna Romulo Puyat

Chairman of NMP, Andoni Aboitiz

The BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. and members of the Monetary Board joined the event, alongside former BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr., Ms. Tess Espenilla (wife of the late Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr.), and the ever-graceful former Central Bank Governor Jaime C. Laya, who gave a short but enlightening talk about the BSP art collection.

From the NMP, Chairman Andoni Aboitiz, Director-General Jeremy Barns, and fellow trustees NCCA Chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, Carlo Ebeo, and Jose Carlos Garcia-Campos also graced the occasion. Chairman Aboitiz expressed gratitude to the BSP for renewing its partnership, calling the exhibition a shining example of how financial institutions can also enrich our cultural wealth.

Former Governor of BSP Jaime Laya

Governor of BSP Eli M. Remona and Chairman of NMP Board Andoni Aboitiz

Artist Charlie Co

Before the official launch, a special media preview was held on 5 August, hosted by BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and DG Jeremy Barns. It gave lucky guests a sneak peek at the collection—because sometimes, even art likes to play “hard to get.”

The exhibition Kultura. Kapital. Kasalukuyan will run until November 2027 at Galleries XVIII and XIX, 3/F, National Museum of Fine Arts. Doors are open daily, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. So if you’re looking for something enriching that won’t hurt your wallet (admission is free!), this is your sign to visit. After all, the best kind of interest is cultural interest.