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Metro Editors' Picks at Art Fair Philippines 2026

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<p><strong>Art Fair Philippines </strong>transformed six floors of the<strong> Circuit Corporate Center One</strong> in<strong> Circuit Makati </strong>for this year&#x27;s edition.<strong></strong> The former racetrack complex has become a central hub for the country’s contemporary art ecosystem, bringing together leading galleries from across the Philippines alongside exhibitors from France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Spain.</p><p>Among the highlights of Art Fair Philippines 2026, which runs until February 8, are its initiatives for <strong>ArtFairPH/Projects</strong>, <strong>ArtFairPH/Digital</strong>, <strong>ArtFairPH/Talks</strong>, <strong>ArtFairPH/Residencies</strong>, and the <strong>10 Days of Art</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770453323277ArtFairPH_Projects section.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">The ArtFairPH/Projects section</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The ArtFairPH/Projects section <span style="margin:0px;padding:0px">showcases both modern masters and contemporary visionaries, a lineup led by <strong>Imelda Cajipe Endaya</strong>, whose work is renowned for its profound</span> exploration of domesticity, migration, and women’s empowerment. It also honors the foundations of Philippine art by featuring four late Filipino masters: <strong>Brenda Fajardo</strong>, <strong>Constancio Bernardo</strong>, <strong>Solomon Saprid</strong>, and <strong>Romeo Tabuena</strong>. Their inclusion ensures that the legacy of feminist social realism and geometric abstraction continues to resonate with a new generation of collectors.</p><p>The ArtFairPH/Digital section highlights works that incorporate animation, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse. This year, the fair features painter and graphic artist <strong>TRNZ</strong>, who <strong></strong>debuts <strong><em>The Keeper</em></strong>, an animated short film he created in collaboration with Fleet Studios. It explores the gravity of pressure in our society and how the most important things fall through the cracks in pursuit of success, accolades, and external validation. </p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770549445155grace libero art fair ph pick 5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Whether you&#x27;re looking for an artwork to adorn your space or simply in need of inspiration, these artworks are not only a delight to look at but also serve as mirrors into artistic perspectives on life and living. </p><p>The Metro editors visited Art Fair Philippines 2026, and here are the artworks that stood out to them:</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Editor-in-Chief Geolette Esguerra</strong></div><div><strong></strong><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770453971793geolette art fair pick 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770453999033geolette art fair pick 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong>&quot;Inhabitants&quot; by Don Bryan Bunag</strong></div><p>&quot;Monochrome with bluish inflections cutting across sacred geometries: portals, structural repetitions, and the void. There is an uncertain gravitas that leaves you feeling unsettled, a stillness that feels so tremendous and insurmountable. Entering this space gives you a glimpse of the edge of light, or the precipice of darkness. Take it as you will.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Beauty and Wellness editor Kate Paras-Santiago</strong></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770454309613kate paras art fair philippines pick 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><strong>&quot;People - Seeing the World Through Crowds, Searching for Happiness Through Art&quot; By Kim Sohyoung</strong></div><p style="text-align:left">&quot;This piece reminds me of Korean ahjummas and ahjussis. I love that the artist used thick paint texture to create these figures. The neon hues are very attractive to me as well.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770454987578kate paras art fair philippines pick 3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&quot;Sari-Sari&quot; - Acrylic on 3D Sculptural Canvases by Carlo Tanseco</strong></div><p>&quot;These larger-than-life pencils are striking not just because of their size, but because of the uplifting, positive messages they send.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770455109601kate paras art fair philippines pick 4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><strong>&quot;Peach Paradise - Sunet&quot; By Kim Hyun Ju (mixed media and mother-of-pearl on canvas)</strong></div><p style="text-align:left">&quot;Sunsets never fail to amaze me. This painting, with a sun that looks like a peach, reminds me how each sunset is unique.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>People and Weddings Editor, Grace Libero-Cruz</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770540107679grace libero art fair ph pick 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&quot;The Journey is Home&quot; By Ged Unson Merino</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><p>&quot;This is one of the pieces featured in Ged Merino&#x27;s &#x27;The Journey is Home.&#x27; There&#x27;s something dark yet youthful about this collection of artworks. I like the explosion of colors and the texture Merino&#x27;s signature use of thread lends to each creation. It catches your eye and makes you want to look closer. And as I looked closer, I was delighted to see inspiring words—such as renew, revive, restore, and recreate—woven into the canvas like a hidden gem.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770541095788grace libero art fair ph pick 4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&quot;Kapilya&quot; By Max Balatbat</strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><p>&quot;In Max Balatbat&#x27;s &#x27;Kapilya,&#x27; this girl selling <em>sampaguitas</em>, standing on a pile of wilted garlands,<em></em><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px"><em> </em></span>steals attention in the middle of a chaotic environment, making one think of the street children and the reality they live in, as represented by this piece. Often ignored outside, with hundreds of people passing by them every day, here, the kids this girl represents become the main attraction.&quot;</p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770549557253grace libero art fair ph pick 7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div style="text-align:left"><strong>Floral installation by Spruce</strong></div><p>&quot;What&#x27;s nice about Art Fair is that art is not limited to the canvas. Every space that can be used to express creativity can be utilized to transform something ordinary to extraordinary. By the elevators at the Circuit Corporate Center One, this stunning piece caught my attention because it&#x27;s beautifully imperfect. This lovely mishmash, dramatic and chaotic at the same time, was like a palate cleanser in between the art walk/tour around the building—so refreshing to look at.&quot;   </p><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div>

<p> Here are the artworks that caught our eye at this year's edition of Art Fair. </p>

Metro Editors' Picks at Art Fair Philippines 2026

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Metro Editors' Picks at Art Fair Philippines 2026

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Published Feb 08, 2026 05:20 PM PHT

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Updated Feb 08, 2026 07:32 PM PHT

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