Arya News - Across the Philippine capital region, galleries, studios, grants, cultural spaces, and creative communities are reshaping how young artists and designers learn, make, and find their place in a rapidly changing world.
MANILA – To raise a generation of artists and designers in the Philippines is no longer a question of exposure but of cultivation. As visual artist and University of the Philippines art theory and history educator Sam Feleo observes: “The strength of this generation is their awareness. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are intelligent and deeply awake to the world—but they are also living inside a whirlwind of information and images: algorithms, brain rot, an endless surge of content. Awareness alone is not enough to move through that.”
As the niece of the late visual artist Roberto Feleo, whose practice explored indigenous materials and modes of production such as pinalakpak, Feleo brings a deeply grounded perspective to the question of how the next generation of creatives should be nurtured. She believes that the challenge of raising imaginative, critically thinking, and grounded creatives ultimately comes down to developing a sense of discernment—one that can see beyond the smoke and mirrors of contemporary life.
“So the real question for art and design education is not how to make them more aware, but how to develop their character—so they can discern what is good for themselves and what is good for others. And in the Filipino view, that distinction between self and other is not so clean to begin with: the self is ‘kapwa,’ the shared self. The self already includes the other. We are relational, participatory—we have a sensory culture—and we find meaning in that connection,” Feleo shares.
If discernment is indeed the work, then the ecosystem tasked with nurturing it must extend well beyond the traditional four walls of the classroom.
Across Metro Manila, the effort to raise the next generation of Filipino creatives is taking shape across a diverse and vibrant landscape. It lives within institutional classrooms that test student output against global industry benchmarks, but it also thrives in non-traditional third spaces: material classes rooted in indigenous knowledge, maker studios that fuse design-led thinking with fabrication, interdisciplinary cultural incubators for children of all ages, radical agencies championing neurodivergent talent, and galleries that provide grant opportunities for lens-based artists.
Here are seven spaces that are expanding what art and design education can look like in Metro Manila—equipping the next wave of Filipino creatives not only to navigate the noise, but to discern, make, and connect.
While institutional art and design programs often struggle to extend student work beyond the confines of the studio, DLS-CSB’s collaboration with UPS offers a pragmatic model for turning academic training into a launch pad for emerging talent.
Through the partnership, students had the opportunity to develop work for a global brand, culminating in Lauren Kerby Obaldo’s “Haraya sa Kalsada,” which won the UPS Express Envelope Design Competition. Selected from nearly 400 entries, Obaldo’s design will be reproduced on official UPS packaging worldwide.
Obaldo’s design places local iconography in a global context, bringing together elements of the traditional jeepney, Philippine fiesta aesthetics, and Clark’s dynamic role as an international logistics hub in Luzon.
“The collaboration between Benilde and UPS is really important for an aspiring creative like myself. Quite frankly, winning was unexpected given the number of entries. I have noticed that a lot of next-generation Filipinos, in the midst of whatever ‘progress’ we are experiencing now, have forgotten the traditions that make us who we are. This is the reason why I decided to create a piece featuring a jeepney. The jeepney captures Filipino life visually and the liveliness of us Filipinos,” shares Obaldo.
Malaysian visual artist Kayleigh Goh engages with the next generation of art enthusiasts through a moderated artist talk centered on her studio practice. Gajah Gallery represents Goh. PHOTO: PATRICK DE VEYRA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
Conversations on local and regional contemporary art: Gajah Gallery, NBS Compound, Mandaluyong City
Proving that commercial galleries can double as dynamic spaces for public education, Gajah Gallery extends its programming beyond traditional exhibitions. Through regular artist talks, panel discussions, and educational programs designed for audiences ranging from high school students to art collectors and visual artists, it fosters a more accessible understanding of the broader regional contemporary art landscape—while offering a window into the lives and practices of contemporary artists.
Malaysian visual artist Kayleigh Goh, reflecting on her artist talk at Gajah Gallery Manila, shares, “What I have learned from the young participants who actively engaged with me was their overwhelming sense of curiosity and being not afraid to show it,” she says.
“I was a shy, introverted student, and because of that I missed out on a lot of opportunities to learn and express myself well. It’s inspiring to see that quality, and I hope that no matter which chapter of my life I am in, I will always remember to stay openly curious and share meaningful discussions with fellow learners and mentors.”
For Goh, these exchanges underscore the value of artist talks as spaces for learning and discovery. “I think artist talks are important because they provide a window into how different artists think and work. They allow audiences, especially emerging creatives, to encounter different approaches and find artists or methodologies that they can resonate and connect with.”
“From there, they can reflect on how imagination and criticality operate within their own practice—what they might want to adopt, question, or develop further.”
Expanding contemporary modes image-making: Tarzeer Pictures, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati
In a visual arts ecosystem historically dominated by traditional modes of production, Tarzeer Pictures has helped expand the space for lens-based media in the Philippines. The platform supports emerging photographers and video artists across fields ranging from editorial, fashion, and documentary photography to fine art and photojournalism.
As the Tarzeer Pictures team explains, “The Tarzeer Grant for Photography welcomes a variety of approaches, processes, and outcomes in image-making. With an emphasis on new and/or ongoing projects for exhibition, this grant encourages applicants to explore the connections between development and presentation.”
“We look forward to the creative capacities this relationship can nurture, and to seeing what might emerge now that applications are open.”
Through initiatives such as the Tarzeer Grant for Photography and its exhibition opportunities, the platform creates space for experimentation and critical inquiry—enabling artists across generations to develop and present bodies of work that engage with contemporary themes. These include body politics, memory, built environments, conflict zones, ecology, and gender identity.
Collective making and indigenous material heritage: The O Home, San Antonio, Makati and Project 8, Quezon City
Rooted in local heritage and tactile engagements with indigenous materials and processes, such as pinalakpak—a mode of production involving sawdust and glue that was extensively utilized by the late visual artist and art educator Roberto Feleo—The O Home in Makati and Quezon City serves as dedicated spaces for exploring indigenous Filipino materials within the context of contemporary visual art.
As co-founder Len-Len Malgapo-Domingo explains, “We want to make space for things that we don’t talk about enough. This includes how our identities are constantly being shaped, diluted, and sometimes even distorted by colonial histories and outside influences as well as by the way our culture is packaged and understood today.”
“’Yong mga dayalogo, ’yong conversations na hindi natin ma-e-extract sa napaka-fast paced na paraan ng pag-uusap dulot ng relentless modernization, ’yong pagka-disconnect natin sa cultural and human roots natin, lahat ito maaaring mapalawig sa pamamagitan ng paglikha nang sama-sama.”
Together with co-founder Yllang Montenegro, their commitment to creating space for dialogue and collective-making reflects The O Home’s broader effort to re-ground young creatives in local modes of production, while nurturing artistic practices that are both ecologically conscious and deeply connected to cultural identity.
Creative culture built around making: Mold, Legazpi Village, Makati
Operating at the intersection of design-led thinking and ecologically mindful fabrication, Mold provides a hands-on studio environment where ideas are developed, tested, and materialized. The space encourages young practitioners to imagine, innovate, and critically translate ideas into objects—making design processes and contemporary modes of production more accessible.
For founder EJ Angeles, Mold is also a way to reconcile his own creative practice with his values. “Having worked in an advertising agency for most of my life gave me an existential crisis. I caught myself having two selves: a front-facing version of myself that was fine with the excesses of the corporate world, and what I would call my ‘true’ self—a person who loves nature and believes in recycling and sustainability.
“Perhaps the reason I decided to build Mold, a hub that hopes to nurture a creative culture built around making, is to allow myself to feel more whole as a person. Being a designer also means molding the next generation and, hopefully, building in them the capacity to be discerning above all,” he adds. “Mold hopes to be a hub that cultivates both imagination and critical thinking among the next generation of creatives. It is a space for makers and a studio where ideas can be tested.”
“I admire Gen Alpha’s creatives. Their creativity has fewer barriers than that of the other generations I have encountered. Give Gen Alpha creatives a pen and paper and ask them to create a study for 3D printing, and they will almost immediately execute it, without the usual barriers of overthinking and over-editing,” shares Angeles.
The late visual artist and art educator Roberto Feleo was known for his extensive use of pinalakpak, an indigenous artmaking process using sawdust and glue. PHOTO: PATRICK DE VEYRA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
Creative play and cultural incubation: Navitas Haus, Poblacion, Makati
Positioned as an alternative “third space” outside formal schooling, Navitas Haus offers an interdisciplinary environment for creativity and storytelling. Its programs integrate creative play, mindful making, and artistic experimentation, creating space for emerging artists and lifelong learners alike.
At the heart of this approach is a spirit of exploration, making, and connection that transcends the structures and expectations of conventional education.
Elo Quiambao, founder of Navitas Haus, says: “Today’s youth are not passive recipients of information. They are looking for experiences that engage their senses and allow them to explore, make, and discover. This is how they experience meaning and delight. We sometimes think it’s screen time that puts them at ease, but it’s actually the opposite. Young people need human connection more than ever.”
“Let them create with their hands, get into messy paint, and make art that is entirely their own. Celebrate the process. To do art is to go within—to create from personal meaning rather than social pressure,” she adds.
“We are not against technology—we use it in our own toolbox, too. But let us not surrender our youth to its promises of ‘more’ and speed.”
An agency for the neurodivergent creative: The Misfits Camp, Legazpi Village, Makati
Redefining creative education through radical inclusivity, The Misfits Camp offers specialized training, mentorship, and opportunities designed to help neurodivergent artists and creatives develop their skills and enter the creative industry.
“Misfits Camp is a training center that assesses, trains, and upskills neurodivergent creatives, helping them enter and thrive in the industry. This isn’t a one-time, big-time project. Sustainability is one of our goals for our creatives,” shares Merlee Jayme, founder of Misfits Camp.
MOLD is a space for design-forward thinking and fabrication. PHOTO: PATRICK DE VEYRA/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
“I remember meeting a teenager with autism who was designing video games, and that was my eureka moment. I asked myself, how many neurodivergent kids could work in places like Ginza, designing video games in countries like Japan? But then I realized there was a huge gap between talent and opportunity for neurodivergent creatives.”
“So I decided to build The Misfits Camp,” she says. “It is a long journey, but I have seen rays of light in creatives like King Esguerra, who has produced illustrations for Sourdough Cafe.”
According to Jayme, an agency like Misfits Camp provides an avenue for expression, particularly for creatives who may not communicate most effectively through traditional verbal or linguistic means. She believes art can help unleash the untapped talent of neurodivergent artists and creatives, giving them opportunities to develop skills that can translate into meaningful creative work.
One of these creatives is King Esguerra, a neurodivergent graphic designer who was commissioned by Sourdough Cafe through Misfits Camp to create digital illustrations for the cafe’s seventh anniversary.