Perhaps more than Valentine, February has become synonymous with the Art Fair. Now on its 14th year, it has become a permanent fixture on many an art lover’s calendar. Call it a yearly opportunity to really dig deep into the wild imaginings, deep musings and flights of fancy of the artists whose works are put on display. Forty galleries, and then some, strong, running the gamut of classic art, modern masters, through-provoking installation pieces, and a hefty serving of pop art. Call it a yearly opportunity to really dig deep into the wild imaginings, deep musings and flights of fancy of the artists whose works are put on display. But in a world whose focus is torn between political turmoil and economic instability, it does beg the question if art, and beauty as you see it, still has a place in the world, or even matter. 

From what we’ve seen, Art Fair Philippines 2026, themed “Community Building Through Art, Digital Alchemy and Reimagining Philippine Identity,” proves that art may be one of the few things keeping the human experience together for all our sakes. Judging solely from the lines that go around the corner,  there could be some truth to that. 

For one, moving from one gallery to another is akin to a living art history lesson. Revered masters Jose Joya, Solomon Saprid, Ang Kiu Kok and H.R. Ocampo give us a glimpse of a point-of-view of an older world. The late Constancio Bernardo, considered by Fernando Amorsolo as a protégé back in the ‘50s, found himself as an artist out of time; his abstract pieces would be a better fit in these modern times, spurring his family to showcase his work anew. 

Ensconced at the center of Galerie Stephanie is a showcase of a legacy passed on – seen through the shimmering glass sculptures of Ramon Orlina and his two children, but Anna’s pieces are whimsical and bright, while Michael’s play with a prism of colors.