In his postcards, urban sketcher Manolo Menor tells people to slow down and appreciate the Philippine architecture and embrace nostalgia.
Words Rolan Muyot
Photo courtesy of Manolo Menor
November 7, 2026
In crowded cities, amidst the bustling crowds, and in between packed schedules, taking a pause to admire and document the things you find meaningful in the mundanity of everyday life is something to keep on your busy routine.
May it be through photography, diary, or junk journal, you have your own way to keep something in your memories that you could look back at when nostalgia hits you.
But for Manolo Menor, an urban sketcher, to appreciate something is to sit alone and start stroking a paint brush, gradually sketching historic sceneries and architectural buildings with colorful and nostalgic stories beyond what’s in sight.
“There’s something comforting about sitting somewhere and opening my watercolor palette and painting whatever is in front of me,” Manolo shared in an exclusive interview with Art Plus Magazine.
The 23-year old artist’s way of valuing and keeping little things alive also became his bread and butter when he decided to take a break from the university.
Manologues and How Personal it is to Manolo
Manolo is no stranger to architecture as it was his college program before he tried different jobs then, and became a full-time artist now.
Trying to inspire people by his personal story of slowing down and living at his own pace, Manolo found himself building his architecture-inspired snail mail club art project “Manologues”, which people loved as its main idea resonates with them.
Combining his first name and the word “monologue”, the artist came up with the project not just to sell his art, but to also share with people his advocacy of promoting Philippine architecture, Filipino culture, and appreciating handcrafted arts.
“Architecture is not just about the physical structure, it’s also about people, memories, and the culture that exists around it,” he emphasized.
In almost two years of urban sketching, he made multiple postcards featuring famous spots in the city where he found comfort. In his sketchbook, he traced the locally renowned Cafe Intramuros, Binondo, Escolta, Manila Central Post Office, and the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Through every postcard that comes with a personalized handwritten letter, stickers, and personal art, Manolo immortalizes the Philippine nostalgia that his art fans could revisit.
Manologues hits home to Manolo not just because he’s the artist behind it, but also because it became a way for him to reconnect with the things that make him happy, connect to people, and create memories from it.
“My art has been healing me in so many ways I can’t explain. This is something that my younger self always wanted to do.”
Sketching Tomorrow
Committed to his advocacies, Manolo vows to continue documenting the Philippine architecture and culture by visiting more places and telling its stories through his postcards.
The urban sketcher also shared that he wants to create more for people to fall in love with the art of slowing down in life, and remind them, through his handmade arts, that it’s okay to pause to appreciate the beauty of life in spite of everything that is happening around.
“If my art can make someone pause for a moment and appreciate something they normally overlook, then I think it is something meaningful,” he shared.
Ultimately, Manolo aims to keep on brushing paints through the pages of his sketchbook to tell the story of a building and share his personal journey of sketching his tomorrow by keeping little things alive and immortalizing nostalgia.
All of Manolo’s artworks are available in his art shop at Manologues: Architecture Mail Club.
