How SG institute’s residencies fuel Filipino artists’ innovation
A sprawling, 7 x 30 feet multimedia work by Manuel Ocampo seized the spotlight at the Art Fair Philippines. The horizontal piece utilized linen instead of canvas as a base, layered with screen-printed collages of black-and-white images from his personal collection. These included faces of indigenous people, World War II German soldiers, and inverted, booted legs—symbols of both oppressor and oppressed.
Bold red forms, reminiscent of the Russian Constructivist Movement, disrupted the monochromatic images. Religious iconography also featured prominently, with a white flag bearing a yellow cross juxtaposed against a pyramid and a male anatomical figure, alongside silk-screened floating eyes. A hand-painted yellow flag with a vulture flew over a green Star of David. The title is cryptic: “If All You Are Is a Nail Then Everything Else Is a Hammer.”
“The vulture is autobiographical for Manuel,” explained Jefferson Jong, assistant director of the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) Creative Workshop and Gallery, where Ocampo held a residency. “Like the vulture, he sees himself as a scavenger of images and history. To appreciate Manuel’s work, you have to examine it both closely and from a distance.”
While casual observers might focus on the readily apparent imagery—a political caricature of Hitler being sprayed with deodorant, screen-printed aliens, and religious themes culled from the Cuzco School of colonial art—connoisseurs would delve into Ocampo’s process. This includes his use of linen for screen-printed images and STPI-produced specialty paper for drawings, collages, and the deliberate layering and transference of images across various mediums. Ocampo’s works, priced between $10,000 and $50,000, found buyers at the fair.
Advances in printmaking
Singapore and the Philippines share a history of cultural exchange. To celebrate 55 years of bilateral relations, the Singapore Embassy and Singtel Group presented “Chances of Contact: Contemporary Prints from the Philippines and Singapore” last year.
This exhibition, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila and organized in collaboration with the STPI Gallery, featured 16 artists from both countries, creating a visual dialogue through printmaking and paper. For two decades, STPI has welcomed Filipino artists for residencies and exhibitions, and since 2018, it has participated in Art Fair Philippines.
The STPI is one of Singapore’s three public institutions dedicated to the visual arts. In the early 2000s, as Singapore aimed to become a global arts hub, the government acquired the STPI facilities, originally founded by American master printer Kenneth Tyler. Now retired, Tyler pioneered large-scale and complex printing techniques, and developed handmade paper with unique textures.
“He redefined the boundaries of printmaking, and that spirit has become integral to the STPI,” explained Jong.
The STPI has consistently hosted and exhibited Filipino artists. “Our focus is to engage with contemporary art within the region,” Jong said. The Artist Residency selection is made by the Content and Curatorial Committee, led by international banker and arts patron Lito Camacho, and a panel of arts experts.
Housed in a restored 19th-century warehouse by the Singapore River, it is near the Alkaff Bridge, painted with 55 colors and over 2,300 circles by Pacita Abad during her residency. The first level holds the creative workshop where artists experiment. Their work is then displayed at the gallery on the second level. The third level is used for offices, while the top level has an apartment for resident artists.
An exhibition marking the STPI’s 15th anniversary in 2017 highlighted the innovations of Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan. The artist duo transformed their past, large-scale, and ephemeral installations into new, enduring artworks. Visitors witnessed recycled cardboard from previous projects become intricate prints and miniature houses, reflecting themes of migration and home.
For example, cardboard used in a traveling installation, where participants constructed their own dwellings, was repurposed into detailed collagraphs. They also displayed striking blue-toned prints of wings, derived from earlier works that explored social issues in farming communities. Previous pieces focusing on nostalgia were revisited, demonstrating the evolution of their art.
The Aquilizans, in essence, took elements of their past, from cardboard cities to symbolic wings, and formed a unified narrative about movement, belonging, home, and the transformative power of art.
Young and old
Anita Magsaysay-Ho, famous for her depictions of Filipinas in daily life, exhibited her artistic development, shifting from bold brushwork to graceful lines, and a later “Green Period” influenced by Chinese calligraphy. To create delicate effects, she combined etching on a modern handmade pulp paper with a traditional layered printing technique.
Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera’s two STPI residencies likewise displayed his printmaking techniques. His 2005 project, where he sketched directly onto etching plates, resulted in the “Impressions” exhibition. The New York Times reported that collectors from Southeast Asia traveled to Singapore to acquire his works even before their completion.
In 2011, he returned with “Glimpses,” a collection of social commentaries about the Philippines using diverse print mediums and paper pulp paintings. These works featured recurring themes of the complexities of Filipino identity, contrasting images of hardship with dynamic representations of humanity, dancers, and the iconic Sabel the Scavenger.
Geraldine Javier transformed the STPI’s gallery into an archaeological site. She combined preserved natural materials, paper pulp, needlework, and etching to create a haunting, dreamlike environment inspired by natural history. The resulting collection, a reflection on life, death, and creation, demonstrated Javier’s fascination with natural curiosities.
Lyra Garcellano’s art, rooted in personal experiences, explores identity through ethereal portraits that incorporate antique motifs and maps. As part of the BMW Young Artists Series at the STPI, she expanded her creative range through printmaking, creating works that illustrate how memories shape self-presentation.
Pacita Abad’s 2003 STPI residency produced over 50 vibrant works, employing diverse printmaking techniques and hand-colored paper pulp, characterized by her signature bold colors and playful yet reflective style. Focused on the unifying theme of circles, her art celebrated life, relationships, and humanity, reflecting her passion and “love for the shape of the circle.”
Ronald Ventura’s “Recyclables” exhibition at STPI, featuring over 40 new works, examined humanity’s environmental impact through visually complex pieces that combined print, paper, and recycled urban materials. Ventura juxtaposed pop culture and folklore with images of destruction, using techniques such as lithography and paper casting to create three-dimensional prints, reflecting on the hazards of modern society and the subtle dangers of environmental degradation.
Jong identified the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand as particularly vibrant art scenes, noting their freedom of expression, experimentation, and critical engagement.
He also attended the Leon Gallery auction preview and the entire Art Fair Philippines weekend, observing that these art events were social gatherings.
“They’re not just about the art itself, but also about the entire ecosystem, including the networking,” he said.
