The 7th Philippine International Comics Festival continues at Ayala Malls The 30th in Pasig City until July 12, featuring Japan as the Country of Highlight and a range of programs that promote Filipino komiks and international collaboration.
Among the festival’s highlights is “SINTA (Beloved): Queer Stories Across Asia,” an exhibition that presents works by queer comics creators from Japan and Southeast Asia, including artists such as Masaomi Ito, Ayu Yamane, Isha Wang, Kayraa, Everwetscent, and others.
The exhibit explores themes of love, identity and belonging, while accompanying masterclasses, artist talks and panel discussions examine manga, Boys’ Love narratives and contemporary queer storytelling.
Children’s illustration collective Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) marks its 35th anniversary with the “Stories We Tell” exhibition, showcasing more than 70 artworks by its members at Fundacion Sansó in San Juan City from July 11 to August 8.
A companion exhibit, “Side Stories,” honors the late illustrator Robert A. Alejandro and underscores the belief that art should be accessible to all children. The month‑long program also includes panel discussions, workshops, portfolio reviews and family‑friendly storytelling sessions.
MO_SPACE opens two new shows on July 11: “Renegade Garden” by Jan Balquin in the Main Gallery, and “New Ghosts” by Hanna Pettyjohn in Gallery 2, both running through August 9.
Balquin’s installation creates a miniature garden of real and artificial flowers, allowing natural decay to question ideas of authenticity and permanence. Pettyjohn revisits photographs of her parents’ pottery studio, transforming them into paintings and ceramic works that probe memory and the evolving life of objects.
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila offers printmaking workshops every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until November, open to participants aged 12 and above. Instructors Ambie Abaño, Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, Jone Sibugan and Anton Villaruel guide beginners and experienced makers through a variety of techniques.
A framing symposium titled “Foundations of Framing: Principles and Practice” will be held on Saturday, July 25, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., providing a talk and live demonstration on professional art framing, preservation and material selection.
Current museum exhibitions include “Winna Go: Seams of Memory” at Groundspace (through July 12), “Threads of Dreams” on the second‑floor South Gallery (through July 26), “Power of Engagement” on the third‑floor North Gallery, and “Femme Hommage: Selected Works from the M Collection” on the third‑floor South Gallery.
The Embassy of Spain concludes its first half of cultural programming with several exhibitions across Manila. “Buen Camino” at Museo San Agustín explores pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, while “Melodías del pensamiento” at Instituto Cervantes and the UP Vargas Museum presents photographic works that translate musical concepts into visual metaphors.
Additional displays include “Embracing the Wind, Cradling the Water” by Cristina Mejías at the UP Vargas Museum, the traveling “Manila Calling” exhibit at the Centro de Turismo, a permanent showcase of “Four Centuries of Spanish Engineering Overseas,” and the “TAGPUAN” mural by Boa Mistura at Fort Santiago.
The museum of the Galleon Trade in the Mall of Asia hosts “Returning to Manila: The Galleon Trade in Maps,” a collaborative effort highlighting historic maritime connections. The National Museum of the Philippines also opened a new gallery in Baler to commemorate Philippine‑Spanish Friendship Day.
The “Pasts Revisited” exhibition at the Yuchengco Museum, supported by the Constantino Foundation, has been extended to July 31. The show presents personal artifacts, manuscripts, letters and artworks of historians Renato and Letizia Constantino, alongside contemporary pieces created with the advocacy group 350 Pilipinas that examine “usable history.” Admission is available Monday through Saturday, with discounts for students, teachers, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
