THE
ANTHOLOGY
SESSIONS
A continuing conversation on design, craft, culture, and the art of living.
SESSION 01
Live Well with Art
Melver Mercado
Melver Mercado is a visual artist and educator from Cebu, Philippines, known for his landscapes and maritime subjects. His early interest in painting began at a young age, as he watched Bob Ross’ painting shows on television and applied what he learned using the limited resources available to him. He later pursued formal training in Fine Arts, where Jose “Kimsoy” Yap, Jr. became one of his early mentors.
His travels across the Philippines are his source of inspiration, with the country’s tropical climate, vibrant sunlight, and rich maritime scenery providing him with endless sources of color, mood, and atmosphere to explore on canvas.
His practice has since evolved through both local and international exposure. In 2013, he was awarded a month-long residency at Le 100 Établissement in Paris. He was also a finalist in the International Artists Grand Prize Competition (IAGPC) Art Revolution Taipei in 2019 and has participated in exhibitions such as Narrative of Color at the GSIS Museo ng Sining.
Now a professor, Mercado continues to see painting as both discipline and reflection. He believes artistic training goes beyond an art career, that skills in drawing and observation can carry into other fields, where they strengthen spatial understanding and visual thinking in meaningful ways.
Celso Duazo Pepito
Celso Duazo Pepito (b. 1956, Daanbantayan, Cebu) is a modernist painter whose work is a visual manifest of his convictions on faith, family, and nationhood. He grew up in Bukidnon, where he spent much of his youth working as a farmer. In high school, he was named “Artist of the Year,” which he attributes not to drawing but to his ease with calligraphy. Encouraged by a teacher who recognized this strength, he pursued Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines Cebu, graduating in 1981.
He began his career as an impressionist-realist under the mentorship of Martino Abellana. In 1994, seeking a distinct artistic identity, he developed a signature style marked by “cubic simplicity,” where figures are set within structured, geometric planes. His compositions often carry quiet symbolism drawn from family life, labor, and national identity, reflecting his belief that social renewal begins at home and extends to nation-building. His use of color and form serves not only for aesthetics but also a personal apostolate grounded in sincerity and conviction.
Guided by his belief that art reflects the true, the good, and the beautiful, he has exhibited his work not only across his homeland but also to audiences around the world, including the United States, Luxembourg, Peru, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Kitty Taniguchi
Dumaguete-based artist Cristina “Kitty” Sollesta Taniguchi was born in Manila, Philippines in 1952. She graduated with a Bachelor of Mass Communication in 1978 and later completed a Masters in English and American Literature at Silliman University in 1985.
Regarded as a champion of feminine aesthetic, Kitty is among the few Filipina painters to successfully break into a male-dominated art world — a feat back then. Her body of work is deeply rooted in personal experiences and her depictions of women in portraits are expressions of truth, reality, and challenges that women face through the centuries of both physical and spiritual oppression.
She received an Honorable Mention at the Philipp Morris Philippine Art Awards in 1994, one of her first national recognitions. She was a three-time exhibitor at the Beijing International Art Biennale and participated in The Sculpture Creative Camp during the 11th Asian Arts International Festival in Beijing in 2011.
Kitty has held solo exhibitions in venues including the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ayala Museum, Pinto Gallery, and at Mariyah Gallery, an artist-run space she founded in 1992. She has also been featured in numerous group exhibitions in the Philippines and abroad.
Eli Manongas
Eli Manongas (b. 1964, Cebu) is a visual artist who has been involved in group exhibitions such as Happy Watercolorful Summer at Ayala Center Cebu, organized by Cebu Artists Inc., and Artworks for a Cause, a benefit exhibition for Typhoon Sendong victims held at SM City Cebu.
He is also associated with the Neo-Tribalism Movement, alongside artists like Ian Sanchez and Al Aban, contributing to the exploration of tribal themes in contemporary art.
Jose ‘Pempe’ Ybañez
Jose “Pempe” J. Ybañez Jr. (b. Cebu) studied Architecture in college. He is a genre painter who specialized in impressionist watercolors of still lifes and landscapes. He also worked on portraits in oil.
He has exhibited in notable events, including the 2005 Philippine Art Awards Exhibition at the National Museum and Kulay sa Tubig at the Art Center, SM Megamall. His recognitions include being a finalist in the 2005 Philippine Art Awards, the Grand Prize in Art Petron 4 (Watercolor), the Grand Prize in Dance is Life at the Cebu Ballet Center, and the Grand Prize in the On-the-Spot Painting Competition in Carcar. He was also a member of the Art Association of the Philippines.
Darby Vincent Alcoseba
Darby Vincent Alcoseba (b. 1983, Cebu), comes from a family of renowned artists in Cebu. He received his early instruction from his father, Tony Alcoseba, a protégé of Martino Abellana. He initially pursued Computer Engineering at the Cebu Institute of Technology, while continuing to practice art only as a means to support his education. Though he initially did not envision a career in the arts, this period eventually led to the start of his artistic pursuits.
He is an Art Petron Hall of Famer and a Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Grand Prize winner. In 2024, his portraiture was named a finalist at the Art Renewal Center (ARC) in the United States. In 2025, he became the first male Filipino artist to receive the Chianciano Art Museum Award, which led to his inclusion in the 2026 Chianciano Biennale in Tuscany, Italy.
Jess Dinglasa
Jess Dinglasa (b. Samboan) initially focused more on his music. In 2006, he joined an on-the-spot painting competition, one of many outreach projects of CAI, where his entry won Grand Prize. This was a turning point for Jess and the encouragement he needed to seriously pursue painting. To nurture and hone his talent, Jess moved to the city, where fellow painters and more art activities served as inspiration.
He has participated in numerous CAI initiated group exhibitions and has joined in national art competitions. He took the President’s Choice Award in the Third GSIS National Watercolor Competition and third honorable mention in the GSIS National Watercolor Exhibition in 2018.
Jayme “Bong” Francisco
Jayme “Bong” Francisco (b. Cebu) is a visual artist who has participated in notable exhibitions such as the Symphony of Nature Art Exhibit at Quest Hotel Cebu, Tubô Cebu Art Fair at Ayala Center Cebu, and the Existence exhibit at Aroma Art Gallery in Toledo City. He is also a member of the Portrait Artists Society of the Philippines, Inc. (PASPI).
Mariano Vidal
Mariano “Mar” Vidal (b. 1955, Cebu City) studied at the University of the Philippines Cebu Fine Arts program under Martino Abellana. Upon graduating, he became a teacher in the same program, where he taught fashion designer Monique Lhuillier and furniture maker Kenneth Cobonpue.
Vidal met boxer Manny Pacquiao and painted his famous work “The Champ” as a sign of their friendship. His other paintings “Bayanihan” and a portrait of St. Pedro Calungsod are displayed in the New York David Rockefeller Fund and the Vatican respectively. Vidal’s works are distinctly realistic, employing watercolors, pastels, and oil to create an almost photorealistic finish. He attributes his artistry to God, saying, “We are just [His] instrument and He is really the artist.”
Geovanni Abing
Geovanni Abing (b. 1988, Bohol) is a visual artist whose works range from portraits to surreal landscapes that are transformed into different realities, with ever-evolving narratives that tackle human identity and its environment.
He was the grand prize winner of the Don Papa Rum Art Competition in 2020, and another artwork of his was selected for Ateneo Art Gallery Marciano Galang Acquisition Prize. He was also a finalist at the Philippine Art Awards of that same year. To date, Abing has successfully launched eight solo exhibits and multiple group exhibits in Cebu and Metro Manila, Philippines, and Singapore.
Dennis ‘Sio’ Montera
Dennis ‘Sio’ Montera (b. 1972, Cebu) is an artist, leader, and educator. He was a founding member of the Creative Cebu Council Inc., former president of the Pusod Cebu Visual Artists, Inc., and the Head of the Committee on Visual Arts under the NCCA for the 2023–2025 term. He pursued his Doctorate in Creative Industries Design at National Cheng Kung University.
His notable accolades include the Grand Prize at the GSIS Painting Competition in 2010 and the Visayas Juror's Choice at the Philippine Art Awards in 2011. He has represented the Philippines in the Asian International Art Exhibition in Seoul, the East Java Fine Art Biennale, and the Beijing International Art Biennale. In 2013, he was also awarded an Artist in Residence Program in Paris, France, by the Association Le Cent, Établissement Culturel Solidaire.
Romar Quimada
Romar Quimada (b. 1999, Toledo, Cebu) is a realist painter who pursued painting full-time despite the many dissuasions he encountered in his traditional hometown. He is a protégé of acclaimed artist Orley Ypon at Aroma Art Atelier, where he honed his artistic practice.
He placed third in the Jose Rizal National Portraiture Competition in 2022 and the 500 Years of Christianity and Catholic Devotion Contest in 2023. His works have also been featured in Filipino-American exhibitions across the United States through competitions organized by Eagle Eye Charities Inc.
Jose ‘Kimsoy’ Yap Jr.
Jose “Kimsoy” Yap Jr. (b. 1944, Bindoy, Negros Oriental) is an architecture graduate from the Cebu Institute of Technology. He spent his summers learning under Martino Abellana before spending eighteen years furthering his painting at the National Academy of Design in New York.
Since returning to Cebu in 1991, he has led the MUGNA collective and worked as an educator at the University of San Carlos and Cebu Academy of Arts. As the first recipient of the 2023 Bahanding Sugbuanon Award for Visual Arts, he remains a significant influence on the contemporary Cebuano watercolor movement.
Vidal Alcoseba
Vidal Alcoseba (b. 1959 – d. 2016, Cebu), also known as "Ondo," was influenced by both international modern art and the teachings of Cebuano artist Martino Abellana. His practice incorporated Cubist techniques, collage, mixed media, and figurative painting.
He won the Grand Prize for the Martino Abellana Annual Art Competition — a highly coveted award in Cebu as Mr. Abellana is known as the “Amorsolo of the South”. This is just one proof of his excellence in aquarelle.
Leopoldo Aguilar, Jr.
Born on February 16, 1972, Leopoldo Aguilar, Jr. was a Cebuano visual artist whose practice moved between painting, mixed media, installation, performance, and community-based art. He received a Certificate in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines Cebu in 1995, where he received Joya Awards for Representational Art in 1991 and Abstract Art in 1992.
Alongside his Cebu practice, Aguilar mounted solo and group exhibitions in Manila and exhibited internationally, including in Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, France, and Malaysia. In 2014, he placed second in the GSIS National Painting Competition's Non-Representational category, and in 2018 he was among the Visayas regional winners of the Philippine Art Awards. His work entered collections including the Raffles Makati Art Collection and the Conrad Manila collection.
Antonio Ko
Antonio Ko (b. 1956, Manila) studied Fine Arts at University of Santo Tomas and was the recipient of the UST Benavidez Award in 1981. He presented his first one man show in 1989 at the Philippine General Hospital and had various exhibits in mainstream galleries and museums both in his native Philippines and abroad. He handled painting classes for the National Museum and the Philippine Women’s University in 1990 and commissioned murals for Novaliches Church and Equitable Bank, and the stained windows of the Sta. Ana Church.
Some of his awards include the Grand Prize Winner of the art competition conducted by the Automobile Association Philippines (1980), Gold Medalist Philippine Investment & Systems Organization (1980), 1st and 3rd Prize Watercolor Category conducted by the Philippine Orchid Society (1979), and 10th prize Young Men’s Christian Association.
Je An Marquesto
Je-an ‘Govinda’ Marquesto is an Iliganon-Cebuano artist whose creative journey is as diverse as his heritage. Self-taught in both visual and theatre arts, Govinda seamlessly merges his passion for music with his artistic expressions.
A graduate in biology, his fascination with wildlife and Philippine culture manifests in his artworks. He is also inspired by Dadaism, cubism, and figurative abstraction, in which he infuses his pieces with such dynamic energy and depth, creating visual narratives that captivate and provoke thought. Internationally recognized, he was a 2018 Taipei finalist and earned a 2020 Richmond honorable mention.
Jerson D. Calo
Jerson D. Calo (b. Compostela, Cebu) is a visual artist who earned his degree in Nautical Engineering before the persistent pull of creativity led him to the arts.
Before fully dedicating himself to painting, Calo worked with several furniture companies in Cebu as an artist and later became a furniture designer in Shenzhen, China. Upon returning to Cebu, he chose to focus on studying painting, beginning with oil and acrylic as his primary mediums.
His work has received numerous accolades, including 2nd place at the 2020 Cebu City Arts Week Celebration, grand prize at the 2024 Womandaue Painting Competition for his work “Empowering Mandaue,” and 3rd place at the 2024 Carcar Painting Contest.
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