Philippines Makes History with Révélations Paris 2025 Debut

The country makes a significant mark in this global event with locally made avant-garde pieces.

Words Felicity Anne Castor
Photos courtesy of Design Center of the Philippines
June 10, 2025

With an aim to champion local craftsmanship in the global market, the Philippines made its historical debut at the Révélations Paris 2025 in Grand Palais in Paris, France held from May 21 to 25. An estimated 37,000 visitors were anticipated at the international biennial event, paving way for the country’s contemporary crafts to be recognized.

Organized by Ateliers d’Art de France, over 500 of the world’s finest craftspeople and designers gathered to showcase sublime artisanship in the flesh. Exhibited works stretched across various mediums such as ceramic, glass, textiles, wood, and metal. This year’s Révélations highlighted the event’s signature and backbone, “Le Banquet,” encompassing a curation of never before seen pieces from 12 participating countries and organizations.

Curated by Milo Naval, the Banquet of the Philippines went beyond the bounds of aesthetic appreciation and introduced a new lens in the conventional paradigm in the world of craft by sparking curiosity, exploration, and reinterpretation of tradition. “Each object breathes the spirit of the land and seas of the Philippines and captures an intimate dialogue between material and maker,” Naval noted.

Hilaw, Layâ (Unripe, Withered) by Leeroy New and Christina Gaston

With the cycle of life comes growth and natural degradation, and this balance is manifested in this sculpture made of cogon grass, abaca, wax thread, and bamboo beads.

Heart of Abaca by Maricris and Jaime Brias 

Heart of Abaca pays homage to T’nalak weaving, a part of T’boli tradition. This piece was made by layering T’nalak strips and abaca dipped in banana pulp into a form growing upward, similar to a flower, mirroring nature’s organic growth and serving as a metaphor for continuity and cultural evolution. 

Kaleidoscope by Jude Tiotuico

Made with hammered steel, shibori-dyed silk, and materials supplied by Rurungan sa Tuhod Foundation, this sculpture is composed of papillons in indigo hues, spotlighting the magic and strength of community in the flow of life. This piece is made in collaboration with Olivia d’Aboville.

Untitled by Milo Naval

Heritage, strength, and transformation is at the core of this piece made of seashells, abaca, and materials supplied by Shelmed Cottage Treasures.

Constellation by Neil Felipp

Modernity and tradition are combined through the use of 3D technology and shell inlay techniques from Cebu with this sculpture that centers around unreciprocated love. The piece is made with mother-of-pearl, white cabebe shell, white abalone shell, and brass.

Raffia Flowers by Olivia d’Aboville

This sculpture showcases handwoven raffia polyester textiles by Cebu Interlace, with base and stems from Industria edition, forming circular conic shapes that resemble flowers, as the title of the piece suggests. 

Embodying the words “dans l’espirit de l’asrtisan-créateur (In the spirit of the artisan-designer),” the Philippines’ prestigious debut at Révélations—spearheaded by the DTI-Design Center of the Philippines—reinforces the nation's identity as a community of creatives and makers committed to storytelling and innovation through craft.

“This participation is aligned with our strategic priority of promoting Philippine design locally and globally with a deep narrative rooted in craft traditions and know-how,” DTI-Design Center Executive Director Maria O. Matute said.

Learn more about Filipino craftsmanship and the Philippine banquet here: https://bit.ly/PHLBanquet_RevelationsBiennial

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