Artist Manuel Ocampo, born in 1965 in Quezon City, Philippines, graduated from the University of the Philippines. Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles, where he studied and graduated from California State University. After nearly ten years in California, he held his first solo show in 1988, paving the way to a successful career.

Ocampo applies popular Western iconography, religious symbols, Filipino kitsch, art history and culture in thought-provoking pieces, securing his position in the international art scene. In the early 1990s, his reputation was further established with his inclusion in Documenta IX and the Helter Skelter: L.A. Art in the 1990s exhibition at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles.

The artist was also featured in the Philippine Pavilion for the 2017 Venice Biennale, with a selection of paintings from the 1990s in dialogue with several of his works. This marked his third showing in Venice following the 1993 and 2001 biennales. Additionally, he participated in major exhibitions such as Underbrut and Plus jamais seul, Hervé di Rosa, et les arts modestes in France in 2017.

In 2023, Ocampo hosted his first solo exhibition in Iloilo City’s Mamusa Art Gallery. Called Potpourri for Madhouse, the show featured a combination of eight canvases highlighting his distinctive style.