TARLAC CITY — ArtLuzon 2026: Across Regions concluded its run on October 18 at Bulwagang Kanlahi and Maria Cristina Park in Tarlac City, bringing together artists, galleries, collectives, and cultural practitioners across the Philippines to celebrate contemporary Filipino art and foster regional exchange.

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The fifth edition of the exhibit traced its roots from the Tarlac Art Fair and Central Luzon Art Fair, which later evolved into the Luzon Art Fair and is now known as ArtLuzon. This year’s theme, “Across Regions,” highlighted creative exchange across geographical, generational, and cultural boundaries through works exploring identity, memory, materiality, culture, history, and contemporary life. 

Exhibitors included Gallery Francesca, Improv Art Gallery, Anggono Art Association, Kuta Art Group, Dr. Samuel Occeno, Jun Lucas, and Pen Pagaduan, among many others. The event brought together over 400 artists, 800 crochet makers and weavers, and 14 exhibitors, showcasing the diversity of creative practices and craftsmanship across the country.

Among the featured works was SAPALARAN: Ang Hindi Pantay Na Laro Ng Buhay by the Balaraw Art Collective, an interactive, large-scale painting designed as a board game that comments on social inequality in the Philippines. Other works, such as the Bamboo Public Art Program by the Kawayan Collective, explored the possibilities of bamboo as a medium for interactive public art. Beyond the exhibitions, ArtLuzon 2026 also included cultural performances by Rondalla Casa San Miguel, TSU Contemporary Dance, and TNHS Theatre Performers, alongside various community art workshops, cultural workshops, and artistic research presentations.

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For Philippine Women’s University School of Fine Arts and Design Dean Mervy Pueblo-Farol, ArtLuzon reflected a broader shift in the Philippine art scene, where artists are gaining greater confidence to pursue their own artistic visions. 

 “More artists are taking the courage to create the art they believe in,” Pueblo-Farol said. 

However, she emphasized that artistic freedom must be accompanied by efforts to make art more accessible to the public. Art appreciation and education initiatives, supported by events like ArtLuzon, can allow audiences to engage with artworks on a deeper level and understand their meaning and significance.

Looking ahead, Pueblo-Farol hopes to see regional artists experiment with materials beyond canvas while developing their own artistic voices. She emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship and authenticity in art, encouraging artists to draw from their own experiences and explore the human condition through their works, rather than creating solely for “art for art’s sake.” 

ArtLuzon 2026 put these ideas into practice by bringing together artists across age groups, artistic disciplines, and regions, creating opportunities for artists to exchange perspectives and expand the landscape of contemporary Filipino art.

The exhibit ran from October 10 to 18 at Bulwagang Kanlahi and Maria Cristina Park in Tarlac City. For more information about the event, visit the ArtLuzon 2026 Facebook page.

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Shine Cabantog is a multimedia artist completing a BFA in Information Design at the Ateneo de Manila University. She lives and breathes art,  allowing it to permeate her soul. For more of her works, catch her on her Instagram @sa.silangan.