ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Arts and Culture devider The bold new voices redefining the Philippine art landscape

The bold new voices redefining the Philippine art landscape

Published Nov 26, 2025 10:02 pm
Ronald Ventura, Waves, 2021, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches, estimate P12,000,000 - P15,000,000.
Ronald Ventura, Waves, 2021, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches, estimate P12,000,000 - P15,000,000.
Words by Devi de Veyra
Salcedo Auctions spotlights the dynamism of the country’s younger generation of contemporary artists in "Under the Tree: The Wish List," which happens on Nov. 29. This year-end collection showcases the banner names of today defining the Philippine art landscape—expanding its vocabularies, breaking conventions, and bringing renewed energy to the scene.
Ronald Ventura, Untitled, oil on canvas, 2012, 15 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches, estimate P1,100,000 - 1,300,000 (left); Untitled, oil on canvas, 2003, 24 x 18 inches, estimate P1,400,000 - 1,600,000
Ronald Ventura, Untitled, oil on canvas, 2012, 15 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches, estimate P1,100,000 - 1,300,000 (left); Untitled, oil on canvas, 2003, 24 x 18 inches, estimate P1,400,000 - 1,600,000
Heading the lineup is Ronald Ventura, whose works spanning 2002 to 2021 chart the evolution of one of the country’s most influential contemporary voices. The selection ranges from a compelling suite of male and female nudes demonstrating his mastery of the human form, to playful, imaginative turns—seen in an untitled oil on canvas of a dog riding a white horse, and in Waves, a monumental work that foregrounds Ventura’s surreal explorations.
Emmanuel Garibay, Mother and Child with Dog, 2000, oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 35 1/2 inches, estimate P950,000 - 1,200,000 (left); Marc Aran Reyes, Dreamer's Desert Study No. 6, 2020, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches, estimate P1,400,000 - 1,600,000.
Emmanuel Garibay, Mother and Child with Dog, 2000, oil on canvas, 35 1/2 x 35 1/2 inches, estimate P950,000 - 1,200,000 (left); Marc Aran Reyes, Dreamer's Desert Study No. 6, 2020, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 inches, estimate P1,400,000 - 1,600,000.
The sale also presents a strong group of figurative works. Emmanuel Garibay’s Mother and Child with Dog offers a grounded, emotionally charged narrative; Isabel Diaz’s Frontrunner and Marcel Antonio’s Nude Form Study highlight nuanced approaches to the human figure; while Marc Aran Reyes’ Desert Study No. 6 deepens his exploration of psychological landscapes.
Isabel Diaz, Front Runner (Horse), 2021, oil on canvas, 26 x 67 inches, estimate P650,000 - 750,000 (left); Marcel Antonio, Nude Form Study, 2006, oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches, estimate P190,000 - 220,000.
Isabel Diaz, Front Runner (Horse), 2021, oil on canvas, 26 x 67 inches, estimate P650,000 - 750,000 (left); Marcel Antonio, Nude Form Study, 2006, oil on canvas, 24 x 18 inches, estimate P190,000 - 220,000.
Andres Barrioquinto’s #golden50 and Demi Padua’s Inside Out 2B (2016) intrigue with layered symbolism, as Mark Andy Garcia transports viewers into fantastical, color-drenched realms.
Andres Barrioquinto, #golden50, 2021, oil on canvas with frame, 62 x 62 1/2 inches, estimate P1,400,000 - 1,600,000 (left); Mark Andy Garcia, Untitled, oil on canvas, 2o23, 48 x 48 inches, estimate P240,000 - 280,000.
Andres Barrioquinto, #golden50, 2021, oil on canvas with frame, 62 x 62 1/2 inches, estimate P1,400,000 - 1,600,000 (left); Mark Andy Garcia, Untitled, oil on canvas, 2o23, 48 x 48 inches, estimate P240,000 - 280,000.
Equally compelling are two abstract works: Poklong Anading’s untitled diptych and Max Balatabat’s Kapilya, both reaffirming the breadth and momentum of contemporary Philippine abstraction.
Poklong Anading, Untitled (Diptych), mixed media on canvas, 2004, 48 x 24 inches, estimate P700,000 - 950,000 (left); Max Balatbat, Kapilya, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 inches, estimated at P350,000 - 500,000.
Poklong Anading, Untitled (Diptych), mixed media on canvas, 2004, 48 x 24 inches, estimate P700,000 - 950,000 (left); Max Balatbat, Kapilya, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 inches, estimated at P350,000 - 500,000.
Together, these artists highlight a generation that continues to expand, provoke, and redefine the country’s artistic horizons—making this year’s Under the Tree: Wish List a festive finale to a remarkable 2025 season.
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.