Nowadays, people keep saying, “2026 is the new 2016”, and honestly, walking through Art Fair Philippines a few weeks ago, the sentiment makes sense. There’s something about these works of art that feels familiar in a good way, as such being reminded of a time when art (and life in general) felt a little less rushed.

Art Fair PH manifests as a great reset: a return to experimentation, risk-taking, and even hands-on methods that showcase beyond aesthetics – by basking in the process, trying out a spontaneous approach, and welcoming new techniques.

Located at Circuit Corporate Center 1 in Makati City, Art Fair PH 2026 served as a celebration of form, emotion, and artistic exchange. With over 50 exhibitors from the Philippines and abroad, Art Fair PH has become a perfect venue for local and global artworks (like Taiwan, Spain, Japan) that not only inspire, but also challenge & comfort their viewers at the same time.

Surely it served as a heaven for art enthusiasts, lovers, and collectors. Each piece moves beyond visual spectacle. ELETOM  is honored to experience the compelling storytelling of every gallery at the vernissage last Feb. 5, with these exclusive picks:

Ambie Abaño on …beyond my body…

To some viewers, Ambie Abaño’s piece might find the 7×11 ft-engraved woodwork (2016) eerie at first, but the longer you observe it, the more it suggests the language of life’s fragments.

As Abaño notes: “… [we are] beyond body – when the body seizes, the spirit is released from the bondage of space and time…so, death is not the end, but perhaps the return of our true Home, our true Self.”

The artwork symbolizes the human desire to prolong life and resist acceptance of its end. Her observation? There is the fear of dying, losing, and separation-these are all realities of life. As a Filipino printmaker artist specializing in woodcut printing, she believes that woodcutting functions as both a method & meaning — having the process of the work that is linear by design: Once the cut happens, there is no undoing it. And what lingers after the loss may be, as Ambie conveys, “is really just love.”

Choi Eun Joung’s Green Moss and Violet Mushrooms (2023)

Created by Korean artist Choi Eun Joung, her contemporary artwork is an oil-on-wood panel painting. It depicts whimsical and nostalgic vibes while maintaining the tranquility it brings to its audiences.

Her work showcases the vibrant beauty of the environment, incorporating natural elements like flowers, trees, rocks, and plants.

If there’s a theme inspired by this piece, its surrealist approach would most definitely fit the ‘cottagecore’ dress code. Its charming style would resonate with boutiques or any creative venue, such as a paint-and-sip studio or a pottery workshop room.

Dichotomy of Form | Obsidian Series by Naomi Banal

Shifting from her signature colorful abstractions, Filipino artist NAOMI BANAL now explores the quiet power of minimalism and installation-based work.

In an exclusive interview with ELETOM, Banal said it’s her first time using unconventional techniques, such as black and gray bases, and experimental touches of green & ochre hues, including black-on-black transparency for the gallery. 

She has done the work spontaneously, taking about a month to complete each piece, explaining that the finishing is the most challenging part.

“I do a lot of experimentation… That’s what we need today. You have to go outside the box.” True enough, she has still found the beauty in embracing a muted and dark color palette for her canvas.

Describing her artwork as “calm, elegant, and meditative,” Banal finds inspiration from artists like Helen Frankenthaler and emphasizes the importance of experimentation in art. Her installation work serves as a testament to pushing beyond the comfort zone: in shape, texture, and style.

Erikson Arcilla’s What Grows In The Waiting

As the gallery describes: “[it] unfolds as a quiet meditation on duration, patience, and the unseen labor of becoming.

In this exhibition, as Deseree Mapandi explains, waiting becomes an active state, rich with unseen motion. “What grows is faith in processes that unfold beyond urgency. Arcilla and his artworks are reminders that some forms of becoming demand stillness, and he chooses the narrowest openings through which to begin.” And that tranquility awaits discovery in the mineral’s weight, where delicate florals reveal a coexistence between permanence and vulnerability.

Thus, stillness can be appreciated not only through passive waiting but as an active state of becoming. Stronger with edges, yet softer in full bloom.

Pepe Mendoza’s My Universe

The glass sculpture transcends the cosmos, suggesting both ethereal and grounded at once. It’s delicate in structure but expansive in meaning – where light bends through its curves, manifesting a quiet dialogue between presence and possibility.

The piece becomes a meditation on existence itself: fragile, fluid, and constantly evolving. In its transparency, it reveals as much as it conceals, reminding the viewer that even the most intangible ideas can take shape. And even a speck on the side can still sparkle.

ELETOM’s Top 5 picks don’t just end there.