C A N VA S
Opposite page: The Manila Central Post Office from across the Pasig River
“I’d like people to look
around Manila with a
different perspective, to
realize that there is so
much to love here, as
much as any other place
in the world.”
But a particular influence came from a trip to Japan a few
years back, as I got exposed to the artworks of shin-hanga
(new prints), an art movement in 20th century Japan
that came after ukiyo-e, that uses the same woodblock
print process but incorporating elements of Western art
such as light and perspective and inspired by European
Impressionism. Those artworks, especially by Kawase
Hasui and Yoshida Hiroshi, moved me so much. Also,
Tatsuro Kiuchi and his work have inspired me so much.
I consider him a kind of mentor as he’s given me valuable
advice from time to time, most especially with techniques
and the approach to work when I met him in his studio
in Tokyo. Their use of light and color, composition, use
of simple and complex details, all create a timeless mood
and feel that inspire my illustration style, which I believe,
is still evolving.
This issue is our ode to Manila, a city close to our
hearts but criminally underappreciated. We noticed
that a lot of your artworks paint Manila in a positive
and very picturesque light. What is it that you love
about this city?
This personal project, ‘100 views of Manila’, was
inspired by Hiroshige’s ‘100 famous views of Edo’,
and also stemming from the feelings I've always felt
coming home from travels abroad. There was always this
frustration of what a certain country has, that Manila
doesn’t, especially in terms of aesthetics of a city. But
through fresh eyes and looking at Manila as I would
marvel other countries, I was able to change those
feelings by looking at Manila differently—accepting it for
what it is now, but also hopeful of what it can be. I realize
through every artwork that there is so much beauty in
this city if you just keep looking. It’s when you’re far
away from home that you realize how important it is to you.
What do you hope to accomplish with your Manila
illustrations? What message do you want to convey
with your works?
I’d like people to look around Manila with a different
perspective, to realize that there is so much to love here,
as much as any other place in the world. Hopefully, as that
love grows, and everyone would appreciate it more, to
help in growing its potential in their own way—not just
occasionally, but always, in everyday life.
National Museum of Natural History, Manila
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