Trickie Colayco-Lopa

No stranger to disruption, Trickie Lopa co-founded Art Fair Philippines in 2013, revolutionising how Filipinos view and experience art by making it more accessible and less intimidating for the average viewer. The inaugural edition of Art Fair Philippines featured 24 galleries and attracted 6,000 visitors. By its tenth anniversary, visitors numbered close to 30,000, with 60 participating galleries, including a significant number from overseas. Before that, however, came Art in the Park in 2006. To this day, Art in the Park is a much-awaited event, a relaxed day amidst the greenery of Jaime Velasquez Park, when people of all ages and persuasions come together to peruse and enjoy art.

When Art Fair Philippines was disrupted by the 2020 pandemic, Lopa and her tenacious team of organisers once again rebuilt the idea of the art, taking Art Fair and Art in the Park from physical spaces into the digital world. In 2023, just in time for its tenth anniversary, Art Fair Philippines resumed in-person activities at The Link. The event boasted 64 local and international artists and 25,000 visitors and featured artworks of various mediums—some were even interactive.

True to her role as a trailblazer in the art world, Lopa embodies the same creativity and passion to her style. She effortlessly combines casual ease with a sophisticated yet edgy twist. With a keen eye for not just art but also pieces that reflect her personality, Lopa channels the effortless elegance of icons like fashion designer Victoria Beckham and Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, whose outfits look as chic today as they did decades ago when she stole a king’s heart, and a hint of Alexa Chung’s insouciance. “It’s not about copying their looks, but capturing their essence and attitude,” she explains.