Manansala’s Manila lives on through contemporary artists

Manila’s chaos, color, and everyday hustle had always fueled Vicente Manansala’s masterpiece vision of the capital.

Honoring that iconic legacy, Art Forward Manila partnered with the University of the Philippines Manila – Museum of a History of Ideas (UPM-MHI) to host “Homage to Manansala’s Manila.”

The exhibition, which ran from 25 August to 3 September 2026, formed part of UPM-MHI’s broader festival, “Pamana at Sining ng Pamantasan: Ang UP sa Gunita nina Amorsolo at Manansala.”

Bringing together contemporary talent—including Manansala descendant Rosanna Manansala and UP alumnus Eghai Roxas—the show moved beyond the National Artist’s style, reimagining his subjects, colors, and rhythms through a modern lens. For Rosanna, however, the connection to Manansala was deeply personal.

“Manansala’s influence on me is deeply personal,” said Rosanna. “Through my works, I hope to honor not only his artistic legacy but also the values, memories, and love for art that he passed on to me.”

Rather than copying his technique, the artists brought fresh perspectives to his street-level themes. Gia Louise focused on modern street culture, sharing, “Manansala painted daily Filipino life, and I wanted to pay tribute to him by doing the same. I chose subjects that most Filipinos can relate to, such as a sorbetes vendor and a busy LRT commute.”

Paul Hilario took on classic market and sabong scenes, retaining Manansala's original layouts while swapping in his own characters, rendering them in verdaccio, and stripping away traditional transparent Cubism.

Dexter Matilla tackled what the master might capture today, featuring tennis star Alex Eala in “The Best Of Us.”

“With ‘The Best Of Us,’ I simply imagined what subject matter would Manansala be interested to paint about if he was alive today?” Matilla said. “He depicted very Filipino themes and I thought Alex Eala is, right now, the most Filipino everything as she is practically carrying the country’s name all over the world.”

Matilla intentionally left her facial features blank except for the eyes.

“I also purposely left the face blank except for the eyes so that when little girls see it, it can encourage them to imagine that maybe they can also traverse the path Alex Eala has started.”

Curated by Museum Director Honey Libertine Achanzar-Labor, the event served as an active dialogue between history and contemporary vision.

“Manansala gave us a Manila that was at once familiar and transformed: a city of jeepneys, vendors, streets, neighborhoods, movement, and everyday encounters,” said Bea Pimentel Aquino and Lala Jara Tuazon of Art Forward Manila.

“With ‘Homage to Manansala’s Manila,’ through the creative direction of Curator and Museum Director Honey Libertine Achanzar-Labor, we invited contemporary artists to look at that legacy through their own eyes. The result is not a reconstruction of Manansala’s Manila, but many different Manilas, shaped by the artists’ own memories, experiences, and ways of seeing.”

The opening on 25 August featured major historical reveals, including the ceremonial unveiling of Manansala’s never-before-seen study painting for “Arts and Sciences”—now part of UPM-MHI’s permanent collection—alongside rare 1932 Fernando Amorsolo illustrations from Camilo Osias’s “The Philippine Readers Series.”

For art lovers who missed the physical run at the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas, “Homage to Manansala’s Manila” will move to a digital space from 11 September to 29 October.