A Zonta Club Makati & Environs Benefit Exhibit

Au Féminin situates itself at the intersection of artistic production and social advocacy, emphasizing how art illuminates and advances collective futures. It was conceptualized as a fundraising initiative by the Zonta Club of Makati & Environs (ZCME), in partnership with Galerie Joaquin, supported by Handelaar Corp’s YWE, Joel’s Place and Rockwell Land.

                            Jo Balbarona, A Tropical Voyage, 24 x 36 inches, Acrylic on Canvas

At the core of the exhibition is the recognition that while women’s voices have long been marginalized in the historical canon, they remain essential to a comprehensive understanding of contemporary art.  Au Féminin brings together artists whose practices resonate with themes of resilience, solidarity, and care. 

Katrina Cuenca, Harmony in Flight 13 x 10 x 9.5 inches, Copper

By positioning the exhibition as a resource-generating endeavor, it establishes a vital link between cultural production and social support.  In assembling its roster, Au Féminin also acknowledges the contributions of major artists who have long been central to the local modernist and contemporary art scene, including Juvenal Sansó, Katrina Cuenca, James Gabito, Jo Balbarona, RV Basco, Marge Organo, and Jerry Morada, alongside many others. Their participation reinforces the exhibition’s role in uniting diverse practices under a shared vision of creativity, advocacy, and cultural vitality.

Eufemio Rasco, Lovers Whispers 24 x 30 inches, Oil on canvas

Zonta is a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy, and proceeds from the event will help fund ZCME’s women empowerment projects, most significantly an art residency program that provides emerging women artists with mentorship, professional development, and the critical space needed to advance their careers.

Through this lens, Au Féminin reads as a curatorial gesture that is both celebratory and strategic: celebratory in affirming the creative achievements that expand the cultural landscape, and strategic in directing resources toward systems of support that enable women’s artistic practices to thrive. 

The exhibit will be on view at the R1 Level, South Court of Power Plant Mall (Across Zara) from October 9-12, 2025.