Macabre reigns in Jigger Cruz's latest exhibit
'Hail Holy Eyes' shows the artist's playfulness with abstract art
By Poch Eulalia
Published Nov 28, 2025 10:17 pm
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Updated Dec 2, 2025 11:04 am
At A Glance
- Jigger has a fascinating way of playing with the textures from paint tubes, and in some pieces, even incorporates the materials he uses to become one with his art.
FAMILY PORTRAIT Jigger used doodles by his daughter to create this family portrait.
With the whirring sounds of a liminal-style soundtrack eerily playing in the background, Jigger Cruz takes us on a brief tour of his latest exhibit, “Hail Holy Eyes” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in BGC.
MEET THE ARTIST Jigger Cruz
Even though the sound of an unrelated construction site goes on in the background, it adds to the surreal aura “Hail Holy Eyes” evokes. As you observe each piece, the music and unintended background noise start to align with the artworks.
GET LOST IN THE SOUNDS Analog sounds and trippy vaporwave-esque visuals make up this 30-minute video.
Anywhere you look, there’s bound to be something that will catch your attention. Whether it’s the way artworks are framed or how little details might pop out and draw your eyes toward them. Some works show multiple layers, different styles going over other pieces, and as a result, create multiple worlds around the piece. Jigger has a fascinating way of playing with the textures from paint tubes, and in some pieces, even incorporates the materials he uses to become one with his art. At the center of it all, you’ll find a dining table topped with a candelabra and surrounded by numerous used paint tubes. Jigger enjoys collecting all the tubes he has used to create his artworks. When asked how many he thinks he has gone through, he estimates, "a thousand, maybe more."
ART TO PROVOKE A melting frame deviates from the norm of classical paint styles.
There are pieces from Jigger’s earlier years toying around with art that make the artist feel many sorts of ways. “While looking at them now, I feel emotional, nostalgic,” shares Jigger. “It reminds me of so many memories—good and bad memories.” It’s a chilling experience walking through each work of art, watching just how Jigger has evolved his style over the years.
ENTER THE NETHER A portal to another world stands ominously over a tranquil environment.
One piece he speaks fondly of is one he refers to as a “family portrait.” Using doodles of his children as reference, this piece has a playful chaos to it that has you observing every minute detail. While it seems like a random mess at first, take your time looking through the piece, and you’ll likely soon recognize each figure of Jigger’s family.
NO PIECE GOES TO WASTE This piece makes use of the discarded oil paint tubes, brushes, and gloves used in his work.
Perhaps one of the remarkable sites to sit through is the 30-minute soundscape piece with music and visuals by Jigger. It has elements of vaporwave and noise music, likely a result of Jigger’s fascination with analog technology.
THOUSANDS OF TUBES Curator Norman Crisologo jokes that other artists get angry at Jigger for using up a lot of oil paint.
Jigger Cruz’s “Hail Holy Eyes” is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in BGC until March 1, 2026.