Filipinos conquer Art SG

Art SG 2026, held last January, transformed Singapore’s the Sands Expo into a landscape where the Filipino creative spirit commanded the room.

With a flair that bridged heritage and high-modernity, our local galleries brought a distinct Manila energy to the global stage.

Artinformal was the pulse of the contemporary as Tina Fernandez’s roster gave a vibrant study in contrast and cool. From Raena Abella’s hauntingly beautiful ambrotypes of the Mama Mary, to Kristoffer Ardeña’s gritty, jeepney-inspired canvases, the presentation was a visual feast. With a $28,000 Jigger Cruz sale turning heads and Zean Cabangis’ atmospheric layers drawing crowds, the gallery proved that Filipino art remains a blue-chip obsession with a revolutionary heart.

Silverlens is a brilliant masterclass in poetic resilience. Isa Lorenzo and Rachel Rillo curated an outstanding dialogue that felt both intimate and monumental. By pairing the legendary Imelda Cajipe Endaya — whose textiles like Balabal ni Lola Minggay carry the weight of the Filipina diaspora — with Nicole Coson’s industrial abstractions on shipping doors, the booth became a chic meditation on movement and a sophisticated exposition of world-class Filipino narratives.

Likewise, The Drawing Room showcased a profound mastery of the art of the intangible. There is a certain grace in how this gallery handles memory, and Soft Articulations was no exception. Amy Aragon, Chelsea Theodossis and Matina Partosa transformed paint into a vessel for the ephemeral. The collaborative energy of England Hidalgo, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Tomas Vu further elevated the space, offering a cerebral resistance to the “fixed” that resonated deeply with the international set.

The Filipino presence at Art SG 2026 was nothing short of a high-society pilgrimage, as our local art titans and tastemakers descended upon the Sands Expo in an undeniably chic fashion. The VIP previews were a sophisticated parade of patrons, collectors and a glittering confluence where the “social set” met serious scholarship.

The Filipino takeover extended far beyond the fair floor, culminating in the Isang Dipang Langit exhibition at Tanjong Pagar. Seeing Oca Villamiel and Pete Jimenez’s massive installations dominate the Distripark was a proud reminder: when it comes to vision and scale, the Filipino artist knows no bounds.