Cover Shell executives join the celebrated Filipino artists and winners across all categories at the 58th Shell National Students Art Competition
Shell executives join the celebrated Filipino artists and winners across all categories at the 58th Shell National Students Art Competition
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The 58th Shell National Students Art Competition (NSAC) recently held its awarding ceremony at the Ayala Museum in Makati. This year’s theme, “Alab”, drew 2,200 entries nationwide. Tatler presents a look at the emerging artists whose passion is illuminating the future of Philippine culture
The air inside the Ayala Museum was charged with excitement as the 58th Shell National Students Art Competition culminated in a celebration of young Filipino artistry. Shell’s annual NSAC is one of the country’s longest-running platforms for student creators, and its longevity speaks to the foundational support it provides for Philippine culture.
The competition’s theme, Alab, served as a powerful reminder that genuine artistic drive is rooted in purpose, not simply fleeting inspiration. As visual artist and newly elected dean of the UP Diliman College of Fine Arts, Abdulmari “Toym” D Imao Jr, observed, “ALAB is purpose. It is when your art becomes testimony, when every line, frame and gesture speaks to something bigger than yourself.” This sentiment was reflected in the 15 winning works chosen across five categories.
Ayala Foundation’s senior director for Arts & Culture, Jorell Legaspi, underscored the importance of the partnership, noting the winners’ vision gives life to the future of our culture. It is through this collaborative effort that institutions support young creators in dreaming boldly and creating meaningfully.
The judging panels featured a roster of respected Filipino artists, including Raul Isidro, Jose Tence Ruiz and Wig Tysmans, ensuring a high standard of evaluation for the entries. The artists were judged on creativity, technique and their interpretation of the Alab theme.
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In Oil and Acrylic
First place in the Oil/Acrylic category
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In the Oil/Acrylic category, Ruth Cenas of the University of the Philippines–Mindanao secured first place with Usok na Nagiging Buhay. The painting depicts a young dreamer sketching by candlelight, the rising smoke forming the image of a painter—a powerful portrayal of a future built from inner aspiration. This vision of becoming was mirrored by the second and third place winners: Raniag ni Maskbayan (The Light of Futurity) by Don Ace Rabbon and The Flame Within by Vilia Crestene Gelaga, both focusing on the guiding lights of family and inner spark.
In Sculpture
First place in the Sculpture category
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Sculpture presented narratives of resilience and remembrance. The first-place work, Pinagtagping Piraso by Ivan Joysen Del Rosario of Rizal Technological University, portrays a grandmother with Alzheimer’s, stitching fragments of memory in an act of love. Jusun Joshua Estoce’s 0.02g, which placed second, offered a profound statement on agricultural injustice through a single grain of rice, while Gian Paolo Marchadesch’s Paglayag Tilupad captured the determination of Filipino dreams rising against systemic challenges.
In Watercolour
First place in the Watercolour category
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Jonnas Almazar of Bataan Peninsula State University won first place in the Watercolour category with Odyssey of the Scrap Mariner. The artwork transforms a child’s simple, scrap-made toy into a magnificent vessel through sheer imagination. The category continued with Irish Fernandez’s Two-Big, a figure symbolising hope, and Keth Byonnsey Estilo’s Kinsesas, where a father’s welding sparks represent his affection and dreams for his daughters.
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In Digital Fine Arts
First place in the Digital Fine Arts category
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The Digital Fine Arts winners used the medium to address contemporary issues and personal drive. Adam Martin De Leon of the University of the East–Caloocan placed first with Sagwan Math-tatag!, which reflects on the nation’s struggle with math proficiency and the hope for future learners. Sofia Frances De Guzman’s This Flame Remembers Me was a personal reminder of resilience, and Amos Ulang’s Moving Stories drew inspiration from the nostalgia and shared culture found in everyday commutes.
In Photography
First place in the Photography category
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The Photography category captured the theme of light meeting darkness. Jerry Balanay of Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology won first place with Alab: A Burning Vision of Hope, showing an artist shaping hope by candlelight. Jason Mendoza’s Hangga’t May Liwanag captured the persistent warmth of community life in a barbershop scene, and Shainne Maica Ayap’s The Flame Within symbolised the internal fire fuelled by reading.
As the ceremony concluded, Serge Bernal, vice president for corporate relations at Shell Pilipinas Corporation, offered encouragement: “Their craft is a contribution to our cultural identity and a beacon of hope for the future.”
For over 70 years, the Shell NSAC has demonstrated a commitment to empowering young artists. The 58th iteration affirms that these winners represent a movement—one that is shaping the future of Filipino art with deep meaning and inspiration.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
