From July 29 to 31, catch this first iteration of the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival and see the works of revered artists Ramon Orlina, Michael Cacnio, Anton Del Castillo, Presidential Medal of Merit recipient Juvenal Sansó, and National Artist Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, and more.

Read also: Juvenal Sansó: Master of Visual Artistry

In this new art fair in town, some of the country's leading galleries will be showcasing engaging works of art from the best Filipino artists working today. These galleries include Ysobel Art Gallery, 1335Mabini, DF Art Agency, Leon Gallery, Secret Fresh, and Qube Gallery, among others. International galleries such as YOD Gallery and Gallery Kogure of Japan are also taking part.

Read also: León Gallery's Jaime Ponce de Leon: Connoisseur of the Finer Things

Moreover, respected figure in the visual arts and design industry, Robert Alejandro, will be mounting his first physical exhibition at the fair. Rising artists from Linangan Art Residency will also be having their special section at the festival. There will also be a contemporary printmaking exhibition with Elmer Borlongan, Angela Silva, Maya Muñoz, and Henrielle Pagkaliwangan. 

Read also: Papemelroti's Robert Alejandro on His Artistic Journey, Battling Cancer, and Embracing Life

Curated by Ricky Francisco, this festival is presented by Art+ magazine and will be conducting lectures and talks virtually for art lovers and collectors alike. The location of the festival is at Fairmont Hotel in Makati.

Read also: Linangan Art Residency: Sharpening Talents and Shaping a Community

Watch this space for our conversation with curator and museum director Ricky Francisco, as well as our one-on-one with DF Art Agency's Derek Flores.

Coinciding with the grand opening of its new gallery space in Poblacion, Makati, respected gallery Vintana mounts another edition of The Little Big Art Show on July 16. Catch the works of Manuel Ocampo, Dex Fernandez, Kiko Escora, Lourd De Veyra, Aba Lluch Dalena, Argie Bandoy, Kirk Dijamco, Erick Encinares, Jojo Barja, Hamilton Sulit, Jaime Pacena, Chinnich Candao, Art Tavera, Jared Yokte, and Lena Cobangbang. The exhibition runs until July 27.

Check out Vintana's Instagram @vintana.ph for more information

Read also: 10 Must-See Contemporary Art Galleries in Metro Manila

Multi-genre art gallery and advisory firm Galeria Paloma showcases in a physical exhibition the latest and some of the previous works of esteemed artist Carlos at the North Court of Power Plant Mall from July 8 to 12.

Visitors are bound for an immersive experience with the renowned visual artistry of Carlos in his paintings and sculptures, as these will be placed side-by-side with their respective crypto art counterparts. In partnership with Samsung The Frame, Galeria Paloma presents the digital renderings of Carlos' works made by crypto artist and motion designer Isaiah Cacnio. "The Colors of Carlos" is the launching exhibit of a series of upcoming shows by Galeria Paloma, which aims to bridge the gap between the familiar media of visual art and the emerging genre of crypto art.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Mano Amiga, an organization that provides quality education for underprivileged children and sustainable livelihood opportunities to families from disadvantaged communities.

Watch this space for our special feature on distinguished artist Carlos and his colourful career in the local art scene for 40 years.

Rising visual artist and muralist Clint Policarpio mounts his first solo exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Running until July 24, the exhibition titled "Daloy" at the Bulwagang Carlos V Francisco (Little Theater Lobby) presents a collection of the artist's works from 2012 to the present. Policarpio's art is characterised by his understanding of a lively Filipino community, with its rich history, nature, customary beliefs, and personality. Places and events ingrained in the Filipino culture are usually the themes of Policarpio's art. His accomplishments include the Grand Prize at the Shell National Student's Art Competition (in the watercolour category in 2013) and being a finalist in the 2015 Metrobank Art and Design Competition, as well as runner-up in the 2013 DFA Aseana Art Competition.

Read also: CCP 13 Artists Awardees: Who are the Winners in 2021?

The renowned Saturday Group celebrate its 54th anniversary with an exhibition of the artists' latest works, all distinguished by touches of the symbolic colour of grey, which alludes to humanity's traumatic crisis of the past couple of years. Running until July 15 at the Ayala Museum annex, catch the works of distinguished visual artists Helena Alegre, Hermes Alegre, Franklin Caña, Daisy Carlos, Salvador Ching, Buds Convocar, Nida Cranbourne, Anna de Leon, Robert Deniega, Ysa Gernale, Maryrose Gisbert, Amado Hidalgo, Rudy Lunod, Francis Nacion, Roel Obemio, Carlo Ongchangco, Anthony Palo, Tessie Picaña, Omi Reyes, Joy Rojas, Eman Santos, Aner Sebastian, Sheila Tiangco, Lydia Velasco, Joseph Villamar, Migs Villanueva, and Inna Naanep Vitasa.

Also in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between France and the Philippines, the legendary Beijing-based French graffiti artist Ceet Fouad and top Filipino contemporary artist in the graffiti scene Egg Fiasco mounted a two-man exhibition at Vinyl on Vinyl.

Titled "Up to the Sky!" the exhibition curated by Claire Thibaud showcases the distinct artistry of the two: Egg Fiasco's 3D geometrical surrealist art and Fouad's iconic Chicanos. Aside from the onsite gallery exhibition which runs until July 12, the two also collaborated on the large-scale graffiti mural at the Bonifacio Global City.

Watch this space for our conversation with the artists Ceet Fouad and Egg Fiasco where they talked about their collaborative experience

Two respected female artists dominate Silverlens this month with their visually-striking solo exhibitions.

In "What Did the Tree Learn from the Earth to be Able to Talk with the Sky", Elaine Navas presents a collection of new drawings on canvas pieces. The painter, who has concentrated on life more than anything since the pandemic started, offers a much-needed introspection on the things that matter: to paint what one wants to see—in thinking that every chance might come as the last. This serves as a countermeasure to the bleakness of our current state, where we have been exposed to the vulnerabilities of humanity and its resilience to continue and survive.

Meanwhile, in "Cartomancer", Yvonne Quisumbing follows a storyline from the innocent Fool toward the wisdom of the World. The narrative is told in ten oil on sculptural substrates, each representing ten out of the several archetypes in the Tarot deck. She lays down this powerful deck of designs that grounds the art of fortune-telling to folk healing. Frowned upon by conservatives, cartomancy is deemed as an unproductive pastime while traditional medicine is pushed to the outskirts by big pharmaceutical companies. 

Their exhibitions run until July 30.

Read also: Yvonne Quisumbing Talks About Her Inspirations and Influences

Norse myths and legends come to vivid life in Jomike Tejido's 16th Solo exhibition aptly titled "Nordic Sky Worlds". In this exhibition, the artist lets his imagination take flight as we are swept into the worlds of Norse gods and goddesses, great battles, and vast otherworldly landscapes. The whole exhibition is tied together by a masterfully crafted panoramic chronicle of the Nordic gods and the worlds they inhabit. The exhibition is held at Art Lounge Manila in Molito, Alabang, Muntinlupa and will be available on view until July 12.

Meanwhile at Art Lounge Manila at Podium in Ortigas, the Association of Pinoyprintmakers features the works from Marz Aglipay, Melai Arguzon, Psalm Astejada, Pandy Aviado, Diana Aviado, Luigi Azura, Benjamin Torrado Cabrera, Kristen Cain, Salvador Ching, Joey Cobcobo, Fil Delacruz, Janos Delacruz, Noel El Farol, Tish Hautea, Angelo Magno, Gabi Nazareno, Jone Sibugan, Suchin Teoh, Carmel Torres Lim, Anton Villaruel.

The exhibition titled "Petit Format" highlights the significance of miniature works. Held annually to showcase works on paper, particularly prints, the Triennial Mondiale d'Estampes Petit Format (World Triennial of Small Format Prints) in Chamalieres, France, is an example of an international exhibition that allows the mixing of cultures with art as an extraordinary means of communication. The exhibition runs until July 10.

Read also: Turning Trash to Treasures: Mars Bugaoan's Art Speaks of Life's Pains and Growth

Don't miss the four exhibitions happening at Art Cube Philippines, which are having their last week until July 9. In "Anino", the renowned abstractionist Max Balatbat presents his most intense works to date: monochromatic paintings and assemblages that capture the atmosphere of the last two years while we have been faring the pandemic.

In the group show "Happy Ending", artists Arley Carig, Genesis Rovero, Josef Laureano, and Orlando Ambas showcase their distinct artistic styles and identities through their works that one may find to be in conversation with Balatbat's works. Meanwhile, Filipino-American visual artist Julio José Austria gathers his collection of experiences and the issues that resonated with him the most in the decade that he resided in New York in his latest solo exhibition.

Titled "RetroDecade", the show tackles how migration, labour, diversity, pandemic, history, and culture correlate with Austria's life.

Lastly, Janice Liuson-Young, in her exhibition "Shelter from the Storm", takes cues from the pandemic and the recent elections to reflect on the uncertainty of the times and of ongoing, unresolved danger.

Catch until July 17 the solo exhibitions of Mark Salvatus and Francis Commeyne at MO Space gallery.

In "Active Shadows", Salvatus was inspired by a phrase in a book by historian and literary critic Resil Mojares about the unwritten and unfinished works that, instead of making a gap or void in the artist, remain as active shadows. In the exhibition notes, Tessa Maria Guazon wrote, "Salvatus re-articulates this complementary relationship by way of circularity, by reviving art projects, reworking materials, and unravelling existing forms to generate new meanings, or in the artist's words, to channel new energy."

Read also: The Creative List: Art, Architecture, and Design

Commeyne, on the other hand, produces a series of sculptures and mixed media assemblages of carved wood and found objects that express one's survival concerns in his fourth solo exhibition called "Welcome to the Dog Show". Being in quarantine like everybody else, the artist has shifted his focus from artmaking to carpentry and household maintenance out of necessity. In this exhibition, the artist tries to rediscover the joy of making art, find beauty and meaning in the mundane, and reflect on our daily decisions, including the existential issues we faced in the last couple of years.

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