Justin Barratt

Sometimes you need to see a show like this.

A group of up-and-coming artists — many still students — who organised their own exhibition. That alone takes courage. It’s gutsy and visceral. But what really stopped me was the standard and quality of the work. So many of these pieces feel like the beginning of something much bigger.

Chatting with each artist, you get a snapshot of where they’re headed — a glimpse of the future taking shape.

There’s real energy here. Passion. Care. Ambition. You can feel how much this matters to them.

I left feeling genuinely optimistic — like with a group this driven, anything is possible.

If something speaks to you, don’t hesitate — buy the work. Supporting artists at this stage can change everything.

Huge congratulations to all the artists involved. Please go see the show, spend time with the work, and show up for Filipino artists.

And finally, the setting matters. The show sits inside the Calvo Building, built in 1938 and designed by Fernando Ocampo. Once home to businesses, later occupied during the war, damaged in the Battle of Manila and restored soon after — it’s one of the few remaining early-20th-century buildings along Escolta. Seeing new voices and new ideas unfold inside a space with this much history makes the experience even more powerful.

If you’d like the catalogue or details on available works, ask here.

📍 @theartdistrictgallery
📍 Escolta, Manila

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