Art Fair Philippines reaches new scale and clarity with its move to Circuit Makati.

Words Jewel Chuaunsu
Photos courtesy of Martina Reyes
February 10, 2026

Art Fair Philippines’ move this year to the more spacious and organized venue at The Circuit Makati has taken the fair to a whole new level. With fewer spatial constraints, exhibitors’ presentations and special sections are finally given room to breathe.

The heart and soul of Art Fair Philippines is undoubtedly the ArtFairPH/Projects section on the 6th floor. Here, curated exhibitions by Projects artists are truly allowed to shine, aided by the exhibition design of Nazareno/Lichauco. Conceived like a town plaza, the section features defined spaces that unfold from intimate pockets to a shared open ground.

A must-see in this section is Max Balatbat’s KAPILYA, inspired by a chapel his grandmother built. The installation features modified Filipino Catholic ritual objects, including a crucifix, a kneeler covered in spikes, the text of Ama Namin (The Lord’s Prayer) rendered as an eye test, a curtain of bulyos or self-flagellant’s whips, Spanish tarot cards used for sakla and fortune-telling, and wishing candles. Balatbat brings together elements of folk Catholicism, where faith is entwined with magic and superstition, oscillating between the sacred and the profane, devotion and desperation.

Also not to be missed is Ambie Abaño’s …beyond body…, featuring woodcuts on handmade paper mounted on canvas boards. These life-size works depict women’s bodies at various stages—youth, pregnancy, and aging—which Abaño associates with innocence, knowledge, and wisdom. At the end of the room is an engraved wood image of a dead body, while elsewhere is a woodblock print of an old tree. “The fear of dying, losing, separation—these are all realities of life,” Abaño observes. “If there’s a reason for us to be born, there’s also a reason for us to die.” What remains after loss, she reflects, “is really just love.”

A number of exhibitions within ArtFairPH/Projects pay tribute to overlooked masters of Philippine art, presenting their work in renewed contexts. Parallel Visions: Abstractions of Constancio Bernardo spotlights the pioneering Filipino abstractionist known for his geometric and color-field paintings. Romeo V. Tabuena: Conquering Hybridity reflects on the blend of influences in Tabuena’s work, from Filipino Neo-Realism to Mexican muralism. Beyond Bronze: The Multiform Expressions of Solomon Saprid showcases the artist’s signature expressionist metal sculptures alongside his figure sketches.

Projects also honors the legacy of women artists and KASIBULAN co-founders Brenda Fajardo and Imelda Cajipe Endaya. Fajardo is known for her use of tarot imagery to translate Philippine social realities into symbolic forms, while A Votary’s Art surveys the breadth of Cajipe Endaya’s printmaking practice, highlighting both her artistic explorations and activism.

Rounding out ArtFairPH/Projects are Intersect, a collaboration between ceramic artists and partners Tessy and Jon Pettyjohn; Ged Unson Merino’s The Journey Is Home, which reflects on migration, community, shelter, and belonging through mosquito-net works; Narito, Naroon by Sa Tahanan Co., a Filipino diasporic curatorial platform; and Esperanza de Vida (Life Expectancy) by Spanish artist Ampparito, in which he handwrites calendars leading up to December 2091 as a meditation on mortality.

Exhibitions under ArtFairPH/Gallery Projects are spread across the 11th, 8th, and 6th floors. Highlights include an homage to National Artist Kidlat Tahimik through portraits created by fellow artists and family members; Protegeri, a collaborative community-based project by Leeroy New, Vito Selma, and Solenn Heussaff that transforms waste into art; and Okay, Next by Yeo Kaa (Ames Yavuz), which surveys the past decade of the artist’s practice. Meanwhile, ArtFairPH/Digital presents TRNZ’s The Keeper, a short animated film centered on a trophy-room keeper.

Exhibitors overall raised the bar with their presentations this year. Notable shows include selected works by past Thirteen Artists Awards recipients (Museo Trece); The Perception of Self, a group exhibition by Triangulum; immersive works by Junyee (The Crucible Gallery) incorporating indigenous and found materials; A Room of One’s Own by Ku Romillo (The METRO Gallery), inspired by Virginia Woolf’s book; contemporary art, design, and fine objects by Parallel+ artists; original drawings from Rodel Tapaya’s graphic novel ALULONG at Istorya Studios; Ibang Label by Carlo Tanseco (J Studio), which transforms familiar objects through text; photography exhibitions by FotomotoPH and Tarzeer; the participation of new art space 125 Projects; and the Ames Yavuz booth featuring Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan, Audrey Lukban, Vien Valencia, Lesley Anne Cao, Rocky Cajigan, and Jel Suarez. Every corner offers something new and engaging for art lovers.

Art Fair Philippines 2026 runs from February 6–8 at Circuit Corporate Center One, The Circuit Makati.

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