Manila Illustration Fair had its inaugural event in July 2023 at Comuna, Makati!
Press
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PhotoS courtesy of adobo magazine
Held at Comuna, a space for creative community-building (home to creative retailer Manila Middle Ground, RiseSpace Art Gallery, incubator space _63, and various independent F&B concepts like Palm Tree Abbey, Ani Cafe, and Scratch), the vision for MIF was to be a space where illustrators could showcase their original art in an intimate setting and connect with their peers. A total of 20 Filipino artists were selected.
Photos courtesy of adobo magazine
Bagay-Bagay:
Is illustration fine art? @ Art Fair Philippines
Thinking about the different ways fine art has evolved from being a luxury only to be appreciated and made accessible to nobility, to how it has been made ubiquitous through methods of production and reproduction (thanks to the printing press, and later on, the internet/social media), we wanted to challenge the notion that “illustration”, as its own distinct practice, is somehow separate or unwelcome in fine art spaces, namely the gallery setting.
Photo courtesy of RENZO NAVARRO
Each artist used everyday objects– matchboxes, trash cans, calendars– as their canvas, reimagining them as art-ified objects created with an illustrators’ sensiblities, humor, and playfulness.
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As a pre-event leading up the the Art Fair exhibit, we also hosted a free talk series at Comuna’s _63, discussing illustration and its place in branding, fine art, commercial markets, and more.
Photo courtesy of MANILA ILLUSTRATION FAIR