Returning live after four years, Art in the Park headlines creations by Manny Garibay, Bjorn Calleja, and Kabunyan de Guia
Sixty exhibitors representing galleries, art collectives, independent art spaces, and student groups will once again gather on March 19, Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Makati City for the 17th edition of Art in the Park, the country’s most anticipated affordable art fair. Entrance to the fair is free of charge.
A fundraising event, Art in the Park will continue to benefit the Museum Foundation of the Philippines in support of its projects and programs for the National Museum of the Philippines and its network. Since 2006, more than PHP 25 million from Art in the Park has been allocated by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines for its projects.
As in years past, Art in the Park organizers hand picked several artists for special exhibits at the fair. This year’s featured artists are Filipino social realist painter Manny Garibay, interdisciplinary contemporary artist Bjorn Calleja, and mosaic artist Kabunyan de Guia.
Tatag
Oil on dibond aluminum
24 x 16 inches
2023
Photo c/o Art Fair Philippines Press
Manny Garibay is debuting a series of small works, head studies painted on dibond aluminum. The unexpected ground for these paintings lends his images a ghostly, otherworldly air. While experimental in nature, the pieces also showcase his mastery and control over the oil medium.
Charcoal and Graphite on paper
32 x 44 inches
2023
Photo c/o Art Fair Philippines Press
Bjorn Calleja’s series of charcoal and graphite portraits and ceramic sculptures in Dirty Hands showcase the artist’s exploration of the relationship between figuration and abstraction. With gestural strokes and exaggerated forms, Calleja imbues the works with a sense of energy and movement, inviting viewers to engage with the physicality of the creative process.
Also on view will be prototypes of lamps—functional art pieces that the artist is currently developing.
Kabunyan de Guia pays tribute to his brother, photographer Kidlat de Guia, who passed away almost exactly one year ago in Madrid, Spain. His installation, Kidlat Ngayon!!!! Isang taon na paglalakbay as soul, creates a lightning bolt or “kidlat”-inspired shrine where visitors can light candles to honor his brother’s memory.
Complementing the vibrant day at Art in the Park, motion graphics artist Isaiah Cacnio will be projecting his work Beauty in Chaos, a digital painting featuring infinitely complex patterns. Finally, Verlin Santos and Titik Poetry will spearhead flash mob poetry performances throughout the day.
Art in the Park is organized by Philippine Art Events, Inc., for the benefit of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines and with support from Globe Platinum and Bank of The Philippine Islands, and with partners MACEA, Barangay Bel Air, and the Museum Foundation of the Philippines.
For more information, including the complete list of artists/galleries and amenities, please visit www.artinthepark.ph and follow www.facebook/artinthepark and @artintheparkph on Instagram.
