Meet the artists exhibiting at the Malaysia-PH Art Expo happening this weekend

A natural virtuoso of painting, Palomo has won multiple awards, such as the 1991 grand prize in the 24th Shell National Students Arts Competition and the 1994 grand prize in the 11th Metrobank Painting Competition. He graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Painting in 1992 and has since then showcased his work at Art Fair Philippines, Boston Gallery, and Pinto Art Museum, among others.

Armed with the belief that the modern Filipino is imbued with the “wisdom borne of a profound history that has raised a unique culture and identity moving towards a destiny that is yet to be fulfilled,” he asks what it truly means to be Filipino.

Francisco Guerrero

As a documentary photographer, video artist and avid traveller, Guerrero draws from his experiences to show us a world unseen—from the outlands of West Africa to the bustling cities of Singapore and Manila. His photographs are more than just a pretty picture; they focus on the human aspect of the scenes he depicts. At a glance, viewers can see what is going on, what the people are doing, and where they are, but Guerrero digs deeper than that. He offers a story that tells who these people are.

Read also: Navigating the art scene: Your guide to must-see exhibits in Metro Manila this August

Dennis Bato

Originally an aspiring architect, Bato dabbled in multiple mediums to express himself in a way he saw fit. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the Far Eastern University, he is working towards a Master of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines. 

Once a graffiti artist—using spray paint and homemade stickers to decorate the streets—he thought architecture and street art were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Little did he know that the fine art world would adopt his style. Now, he paints our “chaotic society” to find balance and beauty in this chaos.

NIAKIE

One half of the duo NIAKIE.MEOW, NIAKIE presents art in a still unconventional way (at least by fine arts standards). Through custom art toys, they display their love for comic books, hip-hop, and cats for the whole world to enjoy. The two actively exhibit in galleries and art toy shows locally and internationally and have their line of custom figures.

Ramon Orlina

The Philippines’ pioneer of glass and crystal sculpture, Orlina, is a household name in the art scene. He made his debut at the Hyatt Gallery in Manila and has since exhibited locally and internationally. His unique medium has garnered him multiple awards, such as the ASEAN Awards for Visual Arts in 1993, the Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award in 2006, and the Presidential Medal of Merit in 2021, among many others.

Viewers can continue seeing his masterpieces at Museo Orlina in Tagaytay City.

Also see: From life to art: How Kublai Millan paints the colours of Mindanao

Syahbandi Samat

A self-taught artist, Samat never had the privilege of a formal art education. His primary medium is the ballpoint pen, already deemed a unique medium for abstractionists. He took the art scene by surprise when he was one of five winners in the 2011 cycle of the Malaysian Emerging Artist Award at 19—the youngest artist ever to receive the award. His early work was his interpretation of fairy tales, myths and popular idioms and has since evolved into something more introspective, projecting concerns and anxieties about the world. 

Anniketyni Madian

A known name in the sphere of Malaysian visual arts, Madian creates beautiful wood sculptures that bring out her cultural heritage. After graduating from Universiti Teknologi MARA with a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree, she has continued to showcase her work in renowned galleries in Kuala Lumpur. Her most outstanding achievement is being selected by the United Nations to create a sculpture for recognition for the Food and Agriculture Organisation Awards in 2015.

SC Shekar

An award-winning photojournalist, Shekar has a strong passion for documenting the diverse cultures of Asia. He works for several news agencies. Most recently, he’s been working with indigenous communities to provide them with milk formula for malnourished infants and toddlers. Shekar describes his work as a study of human nature, customs, beliefs, behaviours, and ways of life.

Dato Tajuddin Ismail

A reputable Malaysian artist, Tajuddin has gained recognition for his breathtaking abstractions of landscapes and nature. His roots date back to his primary school days when he created improvised scrap toys. As he grew older, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Universiti Teknologi MARA and furthered his studies in Los Angeles and New York. 

To Tajuddin, abstraction is an opportunity to present universal forms of visual expression. His work is never straightforward and always has an underlying metaphoric message, creating art that can mean different things to different people.

Juhair Said

For a long time, many people in Kuala Lumpur did not consider printmaking a proper form of fine art, serving only as a side activity supporting painting and sculpture. Said changed that perception and elevated the medium to newer heights by making it the central focus of his artistic practice. Since the 1980s, he has been at the forefront of printmaking in Malaysia, often using woodblock and linocut. In 1993, he received a study grant from the French government and a Japan Foundation grant a year later to study traditional Japanese woodblock printing under Yoshisuke Funasaka. He would win several awards, including the PNB Award in 1990, the Salon Malaysia Award in 1991, and the Arts Award from the Ministry of Unity in 2009.

Said’s work portrays strong traditional cultural motifs in a contemporary and stylised manner—finely blending printmaking techniques he had learned from the East and West.

The Art Expo is free to the public and can be viewed at Level 2, Concourse, One Ayala, from August 30 to September 1.

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