National Arts Month hits fever pitch with 6 must-see solo shows
February is when the Philippine contemporary art scene hits its loudest, brightest stride. National Arts Month sets the tempo, rippling from Makati’s streets into institutional spaces, contemporary art galleries, and the back-to-back juggernaut fairs, Art Fair Philippines and ALT Art 2026.
Yet beyond these thought-provoking projects, six must-see solo exhibitions map the breadth of artistic production shaping the season. From Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan’s two-year participatory paper-house building ‘laboratory’ at Museo Pambata to José John Santos III’s meditations on positive and negative spaces in Taipei, these shows deliver intimate, transformative encounters where art does its deepest work—and where the human pulse of the 2026 art season can be felt.
José John Santos III: “The Space that Connects” at Nunu Fine Art, Taipei
“‘The Space that Connects’ explores the intimate dialogue between positive and negative space—how what is erased or cut adds context, form, and substance. In this tension, I find that this interaction leads to transformation. Negative shapes are not merely voids or backgrounds; they are a means of definition. They carve the boundaries of what is seen, revealing that emptiness also has a voice and essence of its own. Through this lens, absence is not a loss but a beginning.
I am drawn to objects, sites, and situations that show history—sites and situations that tell stories. Stories of how things were used and what events transpired over a period of time. I am also intrigued by things and scenarios that are in ‘in-between states,’ like construction sites and structures in a state of ruin, because in this condition, they hold the potential for change and becoming something new, but unknown. These moments are important because they are part of the process of creation that will soon be forgotten.
My interest in polarities (negative and positive space/shape) as integral parts of each other reflects a view that I hold not only as an artist but also as a human being. The works currently on display at Nunu Fine Art in Taipei, executed in varied materials, all present, dissect, and expand this topic in different ways. By tackling this concern in this show, I feel that I am able to make a connection between art-making and life, and show how both follow parallel paths.” – José John Santos III
José John Santos III’s “The Space that Connects” is currently on view and will run until March 22, at Nunu Fine Art, No.5, Lane 67, Section 1, Jinshan S.Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan
Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan: “Dwellings” at Museo Pambata, Manila
“Kids, parents, and everyone are invited to engage, interact, and create something out of the materials on hand, which in this case is used cardboard. Eventually, their creations will be included in the continuously expanding and evolving ‘city.’
Participants are expected to learn and respond. There are many ways of engaging and innumerable levels of learning from topics such as environmental and ecological issues, urban development and the expansion of metropolises, migration and dislocation, overpopulation, resourcefulness, and sustainability, among others.
The work can also be a subject for aesthetic contemplation, appreciation of basic forms, texture, shape, color, and lines, as well as learning art through mixed media, assemblage, sculpture, and installation, in addition to performative, collaborative, and interactive participatory work.
We created the project primarily to provide a space for people to come together, share, engage, and simply slow down and create.
We have proposed the work as a laboratory for Museo Pambata to develop educational modules, public programming, and audience development. It is also a space to introduce interdisciplinary learning activities, proper decorum, and art appreciation at an early age. Additionally, it is a space for families to work and spend time together.” – Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan
“With the exhibition on view for two years, our programming fosters reflection through art-making while positioning the museum as a proactive space that responds meaningfully to the concerns of our time.” – Randel Urbano, Museo Pambata executive director
Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan’s “Dwellings” is currently on view and will run for two years at Museo Pambata, Roxas Boulevard, corner South Drive, Manila
Ayka Go: “Pre/Form” at The Drawing Room, Makati
“Initially, for this show, I was thinking of going back to simpler forms. For this exhibition, you’ll see paintings displayed side by side (diptychs)—one folded, while the other is an unfolded, creased sheet of paper. Imperfect, with all its folds and creases, I take notice and highlight the process.
There’s really nothing heavily conceptual about this show. It’s simply me as an artist enjoying what I love to do—my pause and play. The process of becoming, a way of returning to childlike play and the wonder of art-making.” – Ayka Go, visual artist
Ayka Go’s “Pre/Form” is currently on view and will run until March 7. The Drawing Room, Ground Floor, Building C, Karrivin Plaza, 2316 Chino Roces Avenue Extension, Barangay Magallanes, Makati City, 1231 Metro Manila
Leslie de Chavez: “Halik sa Lupa” at Gajah Gallery, Mandaluyong
“Viewers can expect to encounter stunning, nuanced works that speak of the deep, yet complicated, love of the land and the Philippines as home.” – Joyce Toh, curator of Halik sa Lupa
“Halik sa Lupa probes the paradoxes at the heart of Filipino devotion: reverence and indulgence, sacrifice and spectacle, piety and performance. De Chavez’s works seduce through their splendor—gilded surfaces, vivid hues, monumental forms—while unveiling the tensions between faith and power, ritual and politics, wealth and want. His sharp yet empathetic vision exposes the dissonance between the abundance of the land and the deprivation of those who labor upon it.” – Gajah Gallery
Leslie de Chavez’s “Halik sa Lupa” is currently on view and will run until March 1 at Gajah Gallery, Unit 1B-1E, NBS Park, 125 Pioneer St, Barangay, Mandaluyong City, 1552 Metro Manila
Peter Zimmermann: “Painting Rules” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Taguig
“My paintings have a kind of digital algorithmic background, so the sticker walls give a sort of digital context, almost like pixelated images. Many of the paintings in this exhibition have been previously shown here and abroad, and the stickers are like a fresh staging for these works.” – Peter Zimmermann
Peter Zimmermann’s “Painting Rules” is currently on view and will run until April 30 at the Metropolitan Museum, MK Tan Centre, 30th St, Taguig, Metro Manila.
Janice Liuson-Young: “Dance While the World Burns” at The Crucible Gallery, Mandaluyong
“My practice of cutting and reconstructing my gestural paintings is influenced by how we often encounter reality today, especially through digital screens.
Much like how a phone camera captures only a portion of a moment, or how wearable cameras present events in partial and fragmented views, my process of cutting disrupts the natural rhythm and movement within each painting. I see this act as a way to reflect how perception is constantly shaped and reshaped.
Media, individual perspectives, and distance all influence how we interpret our experiences, sometimes layering them so heavily that the original meaning becomes unrecognizable or difficult to fully recover.” – Janice Liuson-Young
Janice Liuson-Young’s “Dance While the World Burns” runs from Feb. 10 to 22, at The Crucible Gallery, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
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