Business Concept Magazine

Assembling a magazine cover featuring nine female artists is no easy feat. The idea was first conceived in September 2022 when I was in Manila working on our January 2023 issue of Business Concept Magazine, which showcased the renowned Cebuano artist, Romulo “Mulong” Galicano, and his protégé, JoeMarie Sanclaria. While in Bacolod, I shared with my editorial partner, Geraldine Zialcita, over a cold San Mig beer, that I wanted to do another art issue, this time featuring all female artists in Manila. I carefully selected artists based on their unique styles and combined established names in the art world with up-and-coming talents. After contacting each artist and sharing my grandiose plan for an April Art Issue, I scouted for a location to photograph all nine women in one frame. My Creative Director,…

When artnet.com reported that Pintô Art Museum was one of the most Instagrammed museums in the world (and the most snapped in Asia), the news was received with utter jubilance, but it was hardly surprising. The many hundreds of guests that we see every day, even during weekdays, attest to Pintô’s seductive draw as it beautifully marries contemporary art, verdant ecology, and Mediterranean architecture within a more-than-two-hectare tropical sprawl. It doesn’t hurt that Pintô, while located in Antipolo, Rizal, is still pretty accessible from Metro Manila, providing a quick escape to those who want to find refuge from the gray and noise of the city. Run by El Refugio Arts and Sciences Foundation, Inc., Pintô departs from the usual template of museums in that it allows the guests to leisurely…

Celeste Lecaroz’ paintings are very much like that with her style of spontaneous realism, popularized by the Austrian painter Voka, and aligned in the Fauvist tradition. “I am a colorist,” she humbly declared in one of her interviews and honestly so; for her becoming a painter was sparked by her fascination with coloring books. But her path to the arts and being her own muse spans much longer, like a long-lost friend now found and living with, happily ever after. Celeste describes growing up in the seaside town of San Juan, Batangas as being a free-child. Playful and imaginative, she enjoyed what young girls in the province might have played–kitchen play with leaves and soil, and tasting santan flowers. Early on, she was keen on details and fascinated by people’s faces,…

Born and raised in the Philippines, Khristina Manansala is the granddaughter of cubist painter and illustrator, Vicente Manansala. As a child, she dreamed of making the world a better place in her own little way. “I used to imagine a future where I would take in all the stray animals and street children, and provide them with shelter and sustenance,” she shares. Khristina’s grandfather played an instrumental role in her life by shaping her fondness for art. Despite being a strict disciplinarian, Khristina did not fear her grandfather, instead, he earned her total respect. “My grandfather’s passion for art caught my attention and sparked my interest. Every wall in my grandfather’s home displayed his wonderful masterpieces, which further fueled my fascination with art. Even today, the smell of turpentine which I…

I have always been fascinated by stories and legends about fairies, dragons, mermaids and all sorts of enchanting, magical creatures. Curious, I’d read books and watch movies, including TV documentaries re-tell tales and delve into this secretive and mysterious world that for centuries have captivated and intrigued generations of people desperately trying to make sense and come to grips at the existence of this parallel universe among us. History is replete with a veritable menagerie of these mythical creatures. Often imbued with symbolism, these fabulous beasts also represented the virtues and vices of human nature, and the temptations into which human beings fall. They represented values and norms, and served to stimulate the imagination and desire already ingrained in human nature. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I came across the beguiling…

Once Upon a Time When she was five years old, Astrid, the unica hija of the late Norris Castillo, a visual artist and Irene Castillo, an entrepreneur, recalls playing with paper dolls and cutting paper dresses of her own design. As she was growing up, this interest for the arts surfaced in many creative endeavors such as drawing, crafts, joining art contests, theater, and even ballet, an experience that made a huge impression on the young Astrid as she was given the opportunity to take classes and wear ballet wardrobe (At the time, ballet is an expensive hobby). Above all her interests, it is the love for art that played a high key, especially with the influence of her artist father whom she grew closely with. Among many core memories that shaped…