Pasulong by Anton V. Quisumbing explores loss, longing, and repair. Two years in the making, Quisumbing pieced together the remains of bronze propellers from boats damaged in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette in 2021. Curated by Miguel Rosales and designed by Caramel Creative Consultancy, the exhibition consists of twenty-nine compositions. The works suggest that moving […]
Women’s Month as Seen Through the Artist’s Lens
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With International Women’s Month just concluded this March, many notable exhibits across Metro Manila tackled different issues related to womanhood and women’s rights. The fight for women’s rights is still far from over, despite the progress society has made. Even today, more issues have become complicated by a push towards the conservative and regressive in different places around the world.
With that, discussing women’s issues through art becomes important for society. Many artists and art galleries chose this month to feature interesting works that discuss some of these issues at length. Here are some of the stand-outs we covered here at BluPrint and the issues they brought to light.
Matrix II
What does equality mean to the Filipina artist today? With less barriers for women artists to study and practice their craft, how do we define their current struggles?
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This exhibit portrays a complicated tapestry of the history of women artists in the Philippines. We see their art evolve and change with the times, as more artists in the present become proactive in depicting socio political topics close to their heart.
It also highlights the ways society divides people beyond their gender: from their class status and heritage, to the general hindrances of how one mounts artworks. The exhibit shows that all issues are women’s issues, and that there is no limit to the topics one can relate to their lives.
Read more about the exhibit here.
Bliss: Khajuraho Sketches
This exhibition of sculptor Agnes Arellano’s work at Everything’s Fine Bookshop chooses to question our conservative perspective on sex as a society. Many of the artworks depict men and women in the throes of passion, taken from photographs of a Buddhist temple in India.
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Arellano’s work as a whole challenges patriarchal beliefs about the female body and sexuality. It invites us to analyze our own perspectives on sex, and beyond that, the ways that it can create transcendent experiences from us all.
“Bliss is the state that you’re in when you’re in the act of making love. But even if you’re not making love and you’re meditating, it’s the same. You want to achieve that same state of altered consciousness,” Arellano said during an open discussion about the exhibit.
You can read more about the discussion and the works as a whole here.
Enigma
How we connect to our religious beliefs can define the way we live. With this exhibit, a group of local female artists sought to redefine the Bible away from the patriarchy, and highlight the fearlessness that exists with the women featured there.
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From works like Olive Jaro Lopez’s Cattleya I to III which uses textiles to represent the blossoming and steadfast faith of a barren woman, to Mercedes Cabral’s triptych depicting the death of John the Baptist in the hands of Salome, it portrays the complicated, multifaceted acts of courage and bravery that women of the Bible did to survive.
It’s certainly important to highlight these acts of bravery in a religious world where women are still not allowed to be ordained in the Catholic church, and where women are still shunned away from positions of power in favor of a patriarchal padre de pamilia system.
Read our coverage of the exhibit here.
Alburoto
Women’s work has tended to be seen as “lesser than” by a patriarchal society. Obviously, this is not true, and the economic value of women—not just formal workers but also housewives and stay-at-home moms—is indispensable.
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And yet even then, there’s still a gender pay gap between men and women. More importantly, as costs skyrocket, women have been forced to stay at home to care for their families.
With that in mind, Alburoto showcases the importance of women in the labor fight. Women in different sectors like agriculture and factory work are in the frontlines for their rights for proper wages, for less discrimination, and for different benefits like maternity leave.
It’s not an effortless fight, but Alburoto shows the solidarity necessary to keep the fight for workers’ rights alive. It also recontextualizes women’s work across history, creating a narrative of a long fight for equality that still isn’t there.
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Read more on the exhibit with our write-up.
Women’s Issues Deserve Their Spotlight
International Women’s Month is necessary as a way of celebrating and highlighting the importance of women around the world. But one must remember that these issues and accomplishments don’t start and end in March. They exist, evergreen, anytime everywhere.
Whether it’s March or not, women deserve their spotlight just as much as men do. More importantly, they deserve to have these issues addressed, for a safer and better future for the next generation.
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SoFA Design Institute has established itself as one of the Philippines’ leading centers for creative education. It is dedicated to equipping students with the skills, perspective, and confidence needed to succeed in design both locally and internationally. Last March 11, this vision was brought into sharper focus through the launch of SoFA’s academic partnership with […]
Second homes have shifted from occasional escapes to extensions of everyday life. Increasingly, they are expected to offer the same level of comfort and clarity as a primary residence—while remaining within reach. In this context, a new type of development is emerging: the design-led resi-resort. In Calatagan, Batangas, Costa Calatagan introduces Ortigas Land’s first coastal […]
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Based on an August 2025 report from Research and Markets, the Philippine construction industry is facing a severe labor deficit driven by a widening skills gap. This leaves many projects vulnerable to human error, delays, and coordination challenges. In a country struggling with the slow adoption of advanced technology and a shortage of skilled labor, […]
In a platform that aims to overturn hierarchies and reimagine societies, a Filipina designer secures a spot at Milan Design Week. This proves that Kamayan, the traditional Filipino practice of communal eating by hand, can be recoded into a futuristic ritual. Every Milan Design Week, BASE Milano becomes a ground for eccentric ideas, transforming into […]
Cafés are a prominent feature in the social lives of Filipinos. In Katipunan, they are found on almost every corner. Beyond the mall, the café is one of the most dominant forms of a third place in the Philippines. In Metro Manila, where green spaces and public libraries are sparse, and in-between, cafés have to […]
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