Archives: Artists

Samuel Penaso is a multi-disciplinary artist whose works include traditional painting, sculpture, performance, and hybrid works which straddle these disciplines. He has held solo exhibitions in Japan, Thailand, Austria, Germany, Singapore, New York, Abu Dhabi and Berlin. Penaso received several art grants; including Don Papa Rum residency in London in 2019, ArthubArtresidency in AbuDhabi 2014, Asian Cultural Council (ACC) International Studio and Curatorial Program in New York (6 months)in 2013_, Penaso won the first place in the 2012 Art Association of the Philippines Annual Art Cmpetition, and a string of other wins thereafter, First Prize in the 2014 and 2016 GSIS Art Competition. In 2018, the Philippine Art Awards gave him an award of merit. In the same year, he was awarded the Metrobank Awards for Continuing Excellence and Service (Metrobank ACES). The grand prize for the Don Papa Rum Arts competition, Excellence Award Penaso is one of the core members of Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA) a group of performance artists.Sam Penaso is a visual and performance artist from Guindulman Bohol. He finished his Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree Major in Advertising at Technological University of the Philippines.

The works of wilfredo Alicdan elighten and inspire. Alicdan’s serene figures sit,stand anf pose for the canvas,charmingly unassuming,effectively baring their scene to the observer. The bold shapes and solid backgrounds draw the viewers eye away from nitpicking at the details and instead towards the appreciation of form and composition of each of his works
Among his works, one should take the time look around the canvas. aside from figures, alicdan inserts little plays of whimsy here and there that suggest a depth of thought in the artist”s works. The overly rotound shapes are cast in the outline of Alicdan’s intriguing scenes; a couple motorcycling in space , a family literally placing their home on the map.
Yet the simple still thrive on the artist’s paints: warm family figures dining on a picnic, love for a mother and child, even images of lovers either separated by walls or just playfully in love. the beauty of alicdan’s works lie in their ability to show a true side of human emotion.

Driven by his passion in art, Billy Nuñez didn’t stop doing art in various mediums from paintings into sculptures, His works, mainly sculptures, are best known for it’s fine and intricate details. His sculptures are mainly inspired by the beauty of the human body. Through studying human forms and translating it into art, he applies the inconspicious little details in his works making his sculptures finely done. He does also apply this technique on other types of subjects.
As a self taught artist, Billy started working as a commercial artist during his teen years on a local Chinese corporation in cebu. He started painting on porcelain vases, jars, pedestals anfd other antique wares. Looking for better opportunities, he pursued his art career and moved to manila when he was offered with the same job by another chinese company, After the company closed, he decided to shift from one form of art into another and that is sculpting, He worked with various exporting handicraft businesses such as imagicraft export Inc., Workshop export, and Piazza Export by Mr. Sam Butcher of Enesco Collectibles and Ms. Emily Campos of Touch of craft. He is Currently working with opthalmologist and businessman Dr. Jim Tripon.

Billy Nuñez ecpanded his knowledge not just working on paints but also using other mediums such as resin, cement, and fiberglass products. Now, inspired to do a lot more as an artist he tried out and successfully used lead as the main material of his current sculpture pieces finished with copper, brass, and nickel. currently living in Cainta, Rizal, Billy Nuñez still aspires to broaden his knowledge in arts and create a better version of his artist self.

Studied Fine Arts Major in Advertising at University Of the East, his inspiration for painting is Lovers, nature, culture

Top 5 Awards

2004 grand prize ARTPETRON 2004

honorable SHELL ART 2004

5th place PLDT 2004- 2005

Artist of the year UE

2004 Young achiever of the year

“I’d like to classify my work as a spontaneous kind of healing. Painting to me is like having a blunt and
candid exchange with my soul about adversity and chaos of life. I find peace by expressing my
thoughts and logical views about anything and everything through the use of colours, bold gestures,
and different experimental approaches — making all the mundane things come to life.
My works primarily talk about life itself. Who we are, and how we are affected by everything that
surrounds us. I don’t specifically follow one style, I don’t have any specific rules. I love the idea of
free-flow painting. I don’t have anything but my gut and instinct. I just paint and live in the moment.
Whatever my soul tells me to create, no matter how complex that may be, I’d paint it. If I see a thread,
a stick, a scrap cloth, a foil, I’d incorporate it with acrylic and start my storytelling from there. No
matter how unlikely it may seem, I don’t mind taking the risk.
Each and every one of us has a story to tell but some are too reluctant to even say a word. And that’s
what my work is all about. To be free and be bold.”

Born on January 25, 1988 in Binondo Manila, Chai Soo, a self-taught artist grew up in a small town in
Borongan, Samar. Being an only child and growing up with no parents around, she was raised with
strict supervision, limiting her interaction in the outside world. She then found an ally through brushes
and paints. At an early age, she found bliss in expressing herself through arts and painting.
In 2007, as she began to lead her own life, she set aside her passion and focused on making a living
through the hustle and bustle in the corporate world. In early 2017, after almost a decade of dealing
with the high demands and pressure at work (and life), she felt an urge to go back to her old passion
— painting. It then became her definition of escape whenever she got too much on her plate. It
became her voice. A dramatic reflection of her deepest thoughts, hidden emotions, and inner chaos.
She uses acrylic on canvas as her medium and incorporates it with vivid colours, spontaneous bold
gestures, and a number of different experimental approaches to set the tone of her work.
She hopes to inspire people through her works, to never be afraid to speak their mind and to stand up
for what they believe in as that is what made her presence felt not only in the local art scene but also
in the international art scene.

Chai Soo has showcased her artistic talent multiple times in the Philippines from 2021 to the present and has participated in several international group exhibitions held between 2019 and 2021. These exhibitions brought together artists from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Singapore. Each event served as a platform to celebrate cultural diversity and foster cross-border collaboration, highlighting the unifying power of art in promoting peace, unity, and intercultural understanding across Asia.