Discover New Artists
Meet the returning artists of MoCAF Discoveries 2023 ready to shape the vibrant local art scene at this year's MoCAF
By Art+ Magazine
Photography Santi Albalate
Returning artists of MoCAF Discoveries 2023.
One of the goals of MoCAF is to foster a diverse and inclusive art community that embraces new frontiers and empowers young Filipino artists. MoCAF Discoveries is a special exhibition that is dedicated to the country’s most promising artists, providing opportunities for the next generation. The artists featured here had previously joined MoCAF Discoveries last year and are returning for this year’s exhibition.
Bea Fernandez delves into feminism and the human psyche. Bea’s narrative follows her character Ryz on a journey through womanhood and introspection. Bea uses topless female characters to represent empowerment and equality, aiming to challenge the perception of female nudity and emphasize the complexity of women beyond their bodies.
Carla Gamalinda is a visual artist, curator, writer, and art teacher. She graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Cultural Heritage Studies. She had a solo feature titled Animal House with Cartellino in 2023. Animals, humans, and anthropomorphic creatures were depcited by the artist in mundane situations that overlap with whispers of the wilderness.
Jan Angelo Montiero, better known as Gelofiiish, is a self-taught visual artist who has explored open-ended narratives in his work. He taps into his subconscious to conjure loose metaphors and symbols and weave them into compelling poetic visuals. He offsets the grim undertones of his figures by allowing them space to grieve themselves and their environments. This makes for a weirdly amusing interplay between darkness and capriciousness.
Passion fuels the art of Jello Salomeo, which aims to evoke deep emotions through vivid colors, distorted patterns, and symbolic motifs, inspiring awe and mystery. With an open mind for experimentation, he sees art as his journey of self-expression.
Jeri Jumao-as earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising at TUP Manila. She has gained extensive experience in the publishing and graphics design industry over the past decade and specializes in creating editorial magazines, other print materials, and digital layouts. She has a passion for painting and actively participates in exhibiting her artwork in various galleries.
Based in Cebu City, Jesse Camacho is a young contemporary pop artist who uses fairy tales and fantastical subjects to represent his personal stories and reflect cultural life through different representations of folklores.
Kat Melo is a multi-disciplinary designer, illustrator, and artist. Her art focuses on mixed media; cut-out paper marked with textures in big shapes and bold colors. She also designs and illustrates for restaurants.
Born in Tarlac City, Mark Kenneth Garcia is a Fine Arts graduate of Tarlac State University. He won the grand prize in the 2017 Vision Petron National Student Art Competition. Mark commonly paints the human figure and fuses this with elements rooted from his observations, which are usually in a form of social commentary.
Kiko Moran is a cum laude graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Visual Communication, and recipient of the College Distinguished Graduate Award and Artist of the Year Award at the University of the East – Caloocan, College of Fine Arts, Architecture, and Design in 2022. In 2019, Kiko became the graphic artist, writer, and student representative of Buklod Sining Organization, which uses art for social development. He also collaborated and participated in the social initiatives of non-governmental organizations such as Dakila and Active Vista.
A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate of Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST), Michael Ramos constructs compositions focusing on oneiric imageries, organic textures, visual orations, and deep contemplations through the use of oil, acrylic, and watercolor mediums. Pre-Raphaelite dynamism and Impressionistic colors greatly influence him. Currently, he is a part-time lecturer in EARIST Manila teaching art history.
Randolf Karl Novis is a visual artist from Manila. He studied Bachelor of Fine Arts, major in Visual Communication, at Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology. In 2016, he was a finalist at the Shell National Art Competition.
A self-taught abstract artist, Sandra Isabelle C. Mañalac graduated with a BS Entrepreneurship degree from Ateneo de Davao University in 2021. She is a member of the BaiHinang Davao Women Artists, the first all-female artist group in Davao City.
Tisha Paculba paints in oil and acrylic and sculpts using a mix of media. After graduating in 2012 with a BFA in Advertising at Far Eastern University, she worked as a designer for an export company and learned to sculpt small figurines using plaster of Paris. That experience galvanized her art practice. Her crossovers in the creative industry as a graphic designer and video editor are also crucial to her artistic process. In 2017, Tisha started to pursue her Master’s degree in Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines where she learned different ways to express her art by experimenting with other materials through art research.
Wendel Candawan is a visual artist living in Mandaluyong and currently working as instructor of Fine Arts in EARIST-Manila. He uses different mediums like acrylic, mixed media, and dry media, but mostly works with oil on canvas. His works express figurative and pop surrealism.
Aside from the returning artists, new artists are joining the mix including Louie Salvosa, Meemoo, LAUD, Crazy Vanny, MR; GRNCH, Ola, Mark Hernandez, Geri Gonzales, Chefdoevre Delgado, 3CV, Harddy Santos, Ramir Gatuz, Kempis Ang, Cakies, DVYO, Rem, Amos Malayao, Joly Beart, Patrisha Aguas, Analee Angeles, Megan Daphne Victoria, Marybob, Gabo Valenzuela, Kento-san, Omok, EG Albor, Omchim, Benedir, Miclcee, and MIKES.
