Cover Photo from the Xavier Art Fest 2022 (courtesy of Jay Llanos Dee)

The Xavier School Alumni Association and Art Department invite everyone to attend this year's edition of Xavier Art Fest happening from January 27 to 29

Aiming to support the development of talented Xaverian artists, Xavier School annually mounts the Xavier Art Fest as a platform for these young students to be exposed to some of the country's best contemporary artists and for them to start making a name for themselves.

On January 27 to 29, Xavier San Juan's sports centre and quadrangle will once again be flocked by some of the biggest Filipino visual artists and art galleries. "The annual event continues its aim of making art accessible to the Xavier Community by satisfying students and enthusiasts in their discovery of the visual medium," it reads on the esteemed school's website. "Having a diverse lineup, the event features paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, and more."

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The three-day event will be hosting the annual art-for-a-cause contest, in which proceeds will be given to the beneficiaries of the Xavier School Alumni Association. The beneficiaries are Fr Zuluoaga Faculty Emergency Medical Fund, Para Kay 'Cher (For Teacher) Fund, and Xavier Educational Trust, among others.

Generally, the competition aims to develop an appreciation of the visual arts, both physical and digital art, among students, families, faculty, staff, and alumni of Xavier School. With the theme "Stronger Together: The Art of Possibilities", the competition is open to the San Juan and Nuvali communities of the said school.

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Above The committee behind Xavier Art Fest 2023 helmed by Jay Llanos Dee
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Aside from the competition, Xavier Art Fest will be putting on the spotlight an exhibition of the artists selected by businessman Norman Crisologo. This includes Rap Carloto, Ian Fabro, Gene Paul Martin, Rando Onia, Mikiboy Pama, Joel Quiñones, Art Tavera, Vien Valencia, Franz Vocalan, and CCP Thirteen Artists Award recipient Doktor Karayom.

Blanc Gallery will be presenting a group exhibition called "Willowing Across the Sand", featuring the works of renowned artists like Jojo Legaspi, IS Jumalon, Johanna Helmuth, Kiko Capile, and CCP Thirteen Artists Award recipients Allan Balisi, Elmer Borlongan, and Lao Lianben. Meanwhile, Mark Nativo will be opening his "Divergence" exhibition, also through Blanc Gallery.

Village Art Gallery presents Malou Solano, who is known for her whimsical, dreamscape paintings inspired by her childhood memories and recollections. While Globe Platinum presents popular graffiti artist Distort Monsters, who took over Art in the Park by storm last year with his Monster Mayhem Megamash ongoing project.

See also: Distort Monsters' "Monster Mayhem Megamash"

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Other featured artists at the Xavier Art Fest are MC Tiu and Rad Co (Xavier School alumni from batch '97), artist and photographer Chuck Ronquillo, Davao-based artist Tanya Gaisano Lee, jeweller and sculptor Anita del Rosario, Colombian artist Pablo Bermudez, volleyball athlete and pandemic-born artist Rex Intal with his brother basketball athlete and abstract expressionist JC Intal, as well as Andres Barrioquinto, who is a revered contemporary artist with a global following.

See also: The Turning Point of Andres Barrioquinto's Magnificent Art

To top it all off, local and international galleries, artist-residences, and select alumni batches will be participating as well. These are Japanese galleries YOD and Kogure, Tin-Aw, Mo_Space, Galleria Duemila, Artemis Art, Cartellino, Art for Space, Space Encounters Gallery, Agos Studio, Cevio Art Haus, Linangan Art Residency, Eskinita Art Farm, The Lab Art Project, White Walls Gallery, Forma Art Space, Meatspace Gallery, Fuse Projects, Qube Gallery, The Grey Space, Vinyl on Vinyl, West Gallery, Boston Art Gallery, Village Art Gallery, Secret Fresh, Vantage Contemporary, Galerie Stephanie, Pablo, Kalawakanspacetime, The Drawing Room, Artinformal Gallery, Finale Art File, Underground, Blanc Gallery, Provenance Art Gallery, Arte Bettina, Kaida Contemporary, Art Underground, Bohol-Buhol, J Studio, Metro Gallery, Artery Art Space, Modeka Art, Art Cube, Altro Mondo Gallery, Mono8, R Gallery, Galerie Artes, Ysobel Art Gallery, Nuzen Art Gallery, DF Art Agency, Vintana Gallery, Gravity Art Space, and Xavier School alumni batches 1995 and 1999.

See also: New Exciting Art Galleries Around Metro Manila

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There will also be a silent auction of artworks, divided into four groups. Group 1 will include the works of Isko Andrade, Arianna Bongato, Mark Lester Espina, Mark Andy Garcia, and Arnold Lalongisip. Group 2 has the works of Arce, Cedrick Dela Paz, Pancho Francisco, Pongbayog, and Tatler Ball Philippines' Cultural Icon awardee Ronald Ventura.

See also: Diamond Award, Impact Award, and Cultural Icon: Meet the 2022 Tatler Ball Awardees

The third group of artworks to be auctioned off are by GNCH, Anton Mallari, Raffy Napay, Demi Padua, and the dynamic duo Brian Uhing and S-Ann Ch'i. Group 4 has the works of Barrioquinto, Buen Calubayan, Marrie Sapalad, and again, Napay.

See also: Brian Uhing and S-Ann Ch'i: Explore the Colourful World of This Visual Artist Couple

Other highlights of this year's Xavier Art Fest are the exhibition on contemporary printmaking and the introduction of the digital category for NFT artworks. In partnership with the Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX), a preview of the NFT collection is set to be released and made available for purchase on its mobile app this February.

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