Beyond the Muse
Carlo Magno celebrates his four-decade career with an exhibition centered on the unconventional Filipina.
By Art+ Magazine Team
Photo courtesy of Carlo Magno
October 14, 2025
Master artist Carlo Magno shatters traditional portrayals of the Filipina in his new landmark exhibition, Beyond the Muse. This powerful collection of 40 original artworks commemorates his four-decade career by elevating the Filipina from a passive subject to a formidable protagonist. Magno’s signature fusion of figurative and abstract styles becomes a visual manifesto, capturing the resilience and inner strength of modern Filipinas.
Bloom - Carlo Magno - 18x18 - Mixed Media on Canvas - 2025
In Beyond the Muse, Magno's confident, dynamic portraits are interwoven with explosive bursts of color—a technique that critics have celebrated for its ability to create a “mosaic of recollection and retrospectives.” His work, hailed as “the discipline of a trained painter with the courage of an artist,” challenges viewers to see beyond conventional beauty and witness the profound narratives that lie beneath the surface. The artist himself describes the collection as a celebration of the “unconventional Filipina” who is “dynamic, strong, and unapologetically herself.”
Sinag - Carlo Magno - 18x18 - Mixed Media on Canvas - 2025
The exhibition, which had an initial preview at Art Lounge Manila, will embark on a multi-venue tour across the country. It will be showcased online at the Mindanao Art Fair, Luzon Art Fair, and Visayas Art Fair, followed by a gallery exhibition at Sala in Davao, and will culminate in a final show at Galerie Joaquin Rockwell.
Dalangin - Carlo Magno - 18x18 - Mixed Media on Canvas - 2025
In a groundbreaking collaboration, the full collection will also be available through an online art exhibit hosted by Galerie Francesca Emporium. This partnership extends the exhibition’s reach with a limited-release capsule collection of art merchandise featuring Magno's work. The collection includes book totes, notebooks, high-quality coffee tumblers, and other lifestyle items, allowing collectors and enthusiasts to integrate Magno’s celebrated art into their everyday lives, whether at home or out in the city.
Awit - Carlo Magno - 18x18 - Mixed Media on Canvas - 2025
This transformative collection is more than just art; it is a movement. It is an invitation for collectors and the public to witness the powerful, personal journeys of Filipinas as told through the lens of one of the country’s most celebrated artists.
