Geolette Marie Esguerra

Wynn Wynn Ong Returns With a Retrospective Entitled ‘Distilled’ at the Yuchengco Museum

Article (news)

<p>When Metrowear Icon Wynn Wynn Ong put away her tools and shifted gears seven years ago, she thought it was her final, her swan song in jewelry design. She then focused all her creative energies in Mingala, her weekend home, designing it villa by villa, piece by piece, with the same passion she used to spend on creating jewelry. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:464px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762226251885Metro.Style Wynn Wynn Ong 3.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Pat Mateo</span></span></span></div><p>And yet, by some synchronicity, Wynn Wynn found herself again at an important juncture in her career—she was invited by the Yuchengco Museum, the site of her first retrospective in 2015, to mount another retrospective, this time for the museum’s milestone anniversary.</p><p>Entitled “Distilled,” this exhibit extracts and celebrates the very essence of Wynn Wynn’s creative journey. Opening on November 6, 2025, and running for six months, Distilled brings together over a hundred works from Wynn Wynn’s multifaceted career: intricately sculpted jewelry, large-scale installations, furniture, and wearable art pieces that blur the boundaries between functional and fine art.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:464px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762226329504Metro.Style Wynn Wynn Ong 2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Pat Mateo</span></span></span></div><div><strong>A life and art refined</strong></div><p>“Distillation is a process of extracting the essence of something,” Wynn Wynn shares. “This exhibit is exactly that—a curation of pieces that define the collections over my career.”</p><p>Each creation on display reflects her relentless pursuit of beauty and meaning, linked to her ability to breathe life into materials through passion and craftsmanship. “Decor is a word I detest,” she says firmly. “Each piece, regardless of its size, is art. And there’s a lot of passion poured into it.”</p><p>The exhibit features 90–100 jewelry pieces alongside 15 select large pieces—such as a Kamagong cabinet adorned with jeweled lizards, a turtle and monkey sculpture inspired by Filipino folklore, and light fixtures (sconces) that once illuminated her home. She will also bring together some clothes from the Metrowear show. Together, they form the body of work of Wynn Wynn as an artist.</p><p>“The selection of pieces was a mixture of representation and accessibility,” she says, explaining how the pieces have come from both her personal archives and from her collectors. “Although some of my collectors live on different continents, it was easiest to access the pieces that were here. Having said that, some pieces came back home from abroad,” she explains.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762226383342Metro.Style Wynn Wynn Ong.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Pat Mateo</span></span></span></div><div><strong>The accidental jeweller</strong></div><p>Wynn Wynn had always called herself an “accidental jeweller,” getting into jewelry design as a way to keep herself busy. “I did it when I was waiting for my son as a freshman in Boston University. I had so much time on my hands,” she says in her interview with Metro. </p><p>What started out as a hobby turned into a fascination, and then a passion. She was unstoppable. </p><p>Her design evolution mirrors her own personal transformation. Her earliest works were woven with wire and gemstones, hand-crafted with no formal training. In time, she mastered sculpting and casting to achieve the organic forms she envisioned.</p><p>Yet her creative curiosity led her beyond jewelry. She explored furniture, lighting, and even fashion, culminating in her unforgettable Metrowear show in 2016. Though she admits there were times the process if mounting a fashion show (and also creating fashion) was “stressfull,” she looks back on it with fondness. “It was the best experience because I learned so much and met so many wonderful people,” she says.</p><p>But after years of constant creation and a serious spinal injury following that show, Wynn Wynn began to rethink her priorities. “You know your priorities as you get older,” she reflects. “It was the right time to stop. I’ve done so many wonderful things. I was truly blessed.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:464px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762226470444WynnWynnOng.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photograph courtesy of Wynn Wynn Ong</span></span></span>Galleries and museums as her favorite spaces</strong></div><p>Wynn Wynn has achieved so much in her career. She has shown in New York’s Tama Gallery in 2010, likewise a one-night exhibit at the Asia Society in New York, the Ayala Museum for the YPO, and even the Royal Albert Hall in London for a special event with other Filipino designers like Michael Cinco and Lesley Mobo. “Those were unforgettable,” she adds. Her work has graced international magazine covers and museum collections, yet her motivations remain deeply personal and purposeful.</p><p>For Wynn Wynn, being asked to mount an exhibit by galleries or museums was a career highlight.</p><p>“My favorite places to spend a day, from childhood, were art galleries and museums. A large part of my psyche was formed from my absorption of what I read, saw, and felt in those places.”</p><p>In particular, the Yuchengco Museum is close to her heart, having mounted a retrospective there in 2015. This year, in 2025, will mark her second retrospective and her second time to hold an exhibit there as well. </p><p>“My second major exhibit was at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila,” she says. “It was my farewell collection as well as my tribute to the Philippines.”</p><p>Both of which, she adds, were highlights in her professional and personal life. “It was a sheer joy to work with Jeannie Javelosa at the Yuchengco Museum and Tina Colayco at the Metropolitan Museum, and their incredible teams.”</p><p>Each collection she mounted carried not just her aesthetic imprint but also a philanthropic one—part of the proceeds always went to charity. “It didn’t interest me to mass produce,” she explains. “I only wanted to create limited collections—just one a year.”</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vnXaTKT_axo?si=KPwkduJdDgSK38wN" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><div><strong>A legacy of artistry</strong></div><p>When asked about legacy, Wynn Wynn’s answer is simple but profound: “I just want to be remembered for having made things of beauty that are beyond decor—pieces animated by passion,” she said. </p><p>“I hope that my children and grandchildren will take pride in knowing that I loved my craft.  I believe they understand that a genuine passion for what one does must supersede the need for material gain,” she added in another interview with Metro.</p><p>Finally, to the creators, she gives her fervent wish: “I hope all creators take quiet personal pride in the quality of their body of work.”</p><div><br/></div><div><em>Metro is the exclusive media partner for Distilled. Visit the exhibit starting November 6 at the Yuchengco Museum. </em></div>

<p>Wynn Wynn Ong Returns With a Retrospective Entitled ‘Distilled’ at the Yuchengco Museum</p>