TARA LET’S! Contemporary Filipino Art Exhibit

Tara Let’s is an art exhibit and collaborative initiative brought to life through the partnership of sige! and the Bastedor Art Project—two creative platforms committed to fostering dialogue, community, and artistic exchange across borders.

At its core, Tara Let’s is a call to gather, to co-create, and to move together, echoing the spirit of its namesake phrase, which in everyday Tagalog-English slang means “Come on, let’s go!” But here, it becomes something more: an invitation to explore, express, and connect through art.

 

Two Exhibits

The Tara Let’s art exhibit unfolded in two inspiring chapters across Vienna that featured the diverse voices and visions of artists from the Philippines, Canada, Austria, and France, showcasing cultural perspectives and lived experiences. Through paintings, sculptures, photos, and multimedia works, the exhibit highlighted shared artistry, quiet reflections, and bold imaginings—all while celebrating the act of collaboration itself.

The first exhibition opened on March 24 at Publicartists Gallery, situated in the heart of Vienna’s city center. This debut event offered an introduction to the artists’ diverse styles and perspectives, drawing in an international audience of art lovers, critics, and curious passersby.

The second leg of the exhibit opened a week later, on March 31 at the Philippine Embassy in Vienna, bringing the showcase closer to the heart of the Filipino community. Set within the diplomatic residence, the event took on a more intimate and patriotic tone. It served as a platform not only to display artistic excellence but also to strengthen cultural ties, promote national pride, and foster solidarity among Filipinos living abroad.

What happens when artists from different worlds come together in a shared creative space? What kinds of conversations emerge? What new ways of seeing are made possible?

In this way, “Tara let’s” becomes more than a slang—it becomes a call for co-creation, shared experience, and emotional connection, blurring the lines between invitation and intention. It’s casual but potent, local in flavor but universal in spirit.

Support

The success of the Tara Let’s art exhibit—particularly its second showing at the Philippine Embassy in Vienna—was made possible through the invaluable support of generous sponsors and community partners. Their dedication to promoting Filipino creativity and fostering cultural understanding played a central role in bringing this event to life.

Big thanks goes to ACCES – Art & Cross-Cultural Exchange Society, whose commitment to bridging artistic and cultural boundaries laid the groundwork for meaningful exchange and dialogue. Likewise, companies such as LinkingPhi, MG Photo Studio On-the-Go, Hiyas ng Pinas, and Marikit Markt provided vital support that reflected a shared passion for celebrating Filipino identity abroad.

The backing of the Philippine Embassy in Austria served as a cornerstone of the exhibit, offering not only a venue but also diplomatic encouragement for cultural diplomacy through the arts. Individual sponsors—including Zandrine Kocjan, Georgie Savic-Rico, Laura Reynaldo & Leah Avinante—contributed with generosity and enthusiasm, helping bring the event closer to the community it aimed to represent.

And for a sweet touch of Filipino dessert, Angelato added a delightful flavor to the celebration.

Together, these sponsors helped transform the exhibit into more than just a display of art—it became a cultural milestone and a powerful testament to collaboration, heritage, and creative unity.

Artists

Grandjoy Agdigos

Grandjoy, a Fine Arts graduate of Advertising from the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila, has been actively practicing painting since the 1990s. She has participated in numerous exhibitions throughout the Philippines and abroad.

Grandjoy’s artistic journey starts with a firm foundation in realism and moving on to patterns, textures, and fluid art. She has two distinct artistic styles, one characterized by meticulous attention to detail and intricate patterns especially in her depictions of nature. The other, her abstract paintings, reflect a lively exploration of color, form, and gesture. Her compositions present structured geometric elements with loose, expressive brushwork, creating dynamic tension between control and spontaneity. The use of bold backgrounds—such as deep blue—and overlaid shapes in vivid greens, whites, and oranges, suggest a playful yet intentional layering of visual language.

Grandjoy’s work demonstrates a strong sense of composition. Rectangular forms ground the viewer, while sweeping, gestural strokes introduce movement and emotion. The contrast between the flat, digital-like shapes and the textured, painterly marks invites interpretation and emotional engagement.

In her abstract approach, Grandjoy explore inner landscapes, systems of thought, or even digital and organic coexistence. Her paintings offer a visual rhythm that is both modern and meditative, expressing complexity through minimal means.

 

Joelle Bautista

Based in Baguio City, Philippines, Joelle took up Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines where she actively participated in exhibits and facilitated painting workshops.

Passionate about collaborating and learning from others, she is currently an active member of the Pugad ni Art artist community, participating in local and national group shows that enable her to hone her craft.

Joelle’s art is a delicate and beautiful celebration of nature, femininity, and symbolism, rendered in a soft yet detailed realism. Her paintings prominently feature flowers, birds, butterflies, and ribbons, all intricately woven together to create compositions that feel both romantic and meaningful.

Joelle’s color palette leans toward warm, harmonious tones—oranges, golds, and gentle pastels—which give her works a luminous and comforting presence. The elements in her paintings are often arranged in ways that suggest narratives or emotional states, hinting at themes of grace, freedom, memory, and beauty.

Her use of lace, ribbon, and botanical motifs reflects a classical sensibility, while the clarity and precision of her brushwork reveal a contemporary finesse. These works evoke not only the visual richness of natural life, but also its poetic and symbolic resonance.

 

Andy Nabong

Originally from Manila, Andy’s journey has taken him from New York to his current base in Vienna. He pursued postgraduate studies in Clinical Psychology in New York, where he also worked as a psychologist and researcher in several of the city’s major hospitals. Alongside his professional career, he studied at the Art Students League of New York and refined his classical painting techniques at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto and the Florence Academy of Art. Andy has established his own atelier in Vienna, where he teaches traditional painting and continues to develop his craft. Inspired by the works of Bouguereau, Velázquez, Rubens, Van Dyck, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and other Renaissance greats, Andy channels their influence into his own meticulously crafted pieces. He has exhibited widely across the United States, and his work is held in numerous private collections throughout both America and Europe.

Andy’s art is rooted in the classical tradition of realism, with a focus on portraiture and natural subjects. His paintings exhibit a refined attention to detail, texture, and light, capturing not just the physical likeness of his subjects but also a sense of inner life and emotion.

Andy’s portraits—whether of dignified individuals or elegant women—demonstrate a deep understanding of human anatomy, facial expression, and character, rendered with soft brushwork and rich, naturalistic tones. His use of dramatic lighting and dark backgrounds evokes a timeless, almost Renaissance-like aesthetic, giving each piece a sense of gravity and presence.

In his still-life and animal works, such as the painting of a bird mid-flight (photo at the end of article), Andybrings the same level of technical precision and grace, suggesting a broader celebration of life and beauty in motion. Framed in classical gold, his pieces convey a sense of formality and reverence, highlighting his commitment to craft, tradition, and emotional storytelling.

Norlie Meimban

Norlie Meimban heads the Bastedor Art Project and has showcased his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world. While he is widely recognized for his innovative moving art, it is his remarkable versatility in portraiture that truly sets his work apart

In this set, his work fuses iconic art‑historical imagery with a pop‑infused, neo‑expressionist energy. In the pieces shown, he revisits classics such as the Mona Lisa, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, but reimagines them through a kaleidoscope of electric color and frenetic line.

Layers of bright, almost fluorescent hues are overlaid with swirling, gestural strokes that resemble animated graffiti or dynamic contour maps. These restless lines fracture and rebuild the familiar faces, giving them a pulsing, contemporary vitality while maintaining their recognizable silhouettes. Flat, high‑saturation backgrounds—lime green, chartreuse, hot pink, tangerine—push the portraits forward, amplifying their immediacy and hinting at digital screen culture. These pieces are also crafted using upcycled materials—such as cassette tapes and vintage vinyl records—infusing each work with both nostalgia and sustainability. This fusion of recycled media and bold, contemporary aesthetics gives his art a distinct voice that bridges past and present with creative ingenuity.

Norlie’s approach collapses time: Renaissance and fin‑de‑siècle subjects are recast as 21st‑century icons, caught in a visual remix that blends street art, stained glass, and glitch aesthetics. The result is playful yet reverent, as though he is paying homage to the canon while insisting it remain alive, mutable, and boldly accessible.

Brando Bati

Brando, born in Tanza, Cavite, was introduced to art at an early age when his family relocated to Tanay, Rizal in 1971. Immersed in the rich artistic environment of Tanay, he honed his craft under the guidance of local artists before briefly studying at Slim’s Fashion and Arts School.

In this set, Brando focuses on the beauty and strength of bamboo, which he uses as a symbol of resilience and cultural pride. Here, you can see tall, colorful bamboo stalks painted with thick textures and bold brushstrokes. The bright greens, yellows, and oranges make his work feel full of life and energy. His style gives the paintings a three-dimensional feel, almost like you could reach out and touch the bamboo. Through this simple but powerful subject, Brando captures nature’s strength and calm, inviting viewers to reflect on growth, balance, and staying grounded.

With a career spanning decades, Brando continues to create and inspire, his art serving as a testament to his enduring passion for capturing the poetry of light and color on canvas.

Noel Bueza

Known for capturing and preserving heritage through pen and ink, Noel Bueza tamed the tonality of light through expert crosshatching. He hails from Lucban, Quezon and is the President of Daloy-Likha International Arts and Nature Society.

Noel’s art reflects a deep reverence for both architectural grandeur and cultural heritage, executed with remarkable technical precision and emotional sincerity. In the photos, his pen-and-ink architectural drawings capture iconic historical buildings with meticulous detail and careful linework. These renderings evoke a timeless sense of place, emphasizing symmetry, structural elegance, and historical depth. His architectural pieces showcase not just technical mastery, but also a deep appreciation for the legacy and narratives embedded in monumental forms.

In contrast, his sculptural work speaks directly to Filipino identity and tradition. The golden sculpture of a traditional kalesa (horse-drawn or carabao -drawn carriage)  highlights rural Filipino life and cultural memory, crafted with intricate detail and polished surfaces. This piece merges craftsmanship with cultural symbolism, honoring everyday life and its poetic simplicity.

Together, Noel’s body of work reveals a dual artistic focus: the architectural achievements of global heritage and the intimate, lived realities of Filipino tradition. His ability to shift fluidly between mediums and subjects underscores a thoughtful, multifaceted vision rooted in both precision and cultural pride.

 

Arth Summer Lozano

Arth Summer, whose artist name is Summer Devenlay, hails from Baguio City, Philippines.

She grew up immersed in the art world, heavily influenced by her father, Art Lozano, a fellow artist. Summer’s artistic journey began at the age of five, when she started exploring drawing with colored pens and even experimented with nail polish ink to create her early works. At just fifteen, she made her debut in the art scene with her first exhibition at ArtePintura in Quezon City (2018), which paved the way for a series of shows across the Philippines and now, Europe.

Summer’s work centers on the symbolic and visual language of rocks—natural forms that embody endurance, transformation, and equilibrium. Her compositions often feature stacked stones, rendered with intricate textures and layered abstraction. These formations suggest a quiet meditation on balance, both physical and emotional, drawing attention to the interplay between fragility and strength.

Through a palette grounded in earthy, muted tones, Summer captures the essence of geological forms while transcending literal representation. Her art reflects a fascination with how natural elements hold memory, time, and resilience. By isolating these forms against minimal backgrounds, she invites viewers into a contemplative space where stillness speaks.

Summer’s practice honors the quiet power of nature, transforming the humble rock into a visual metaphor for perseverance and groundedness in an ever-shifting world.

Junever Mahilum-West

Affectionately known as ‘Amba Jones,’ she is a proud alumna of the University of the Philippines. Driven by a deep love for the arts, she has pursued painting as a self-taught artist. Whenever she finds a moment away from her diplomatic duties, she turns to her brush and gouache—a personal source of inspiration, relaxation, and creative expression.

Her artwork is a thoughtful celebration of still life featuring fruits and everyday home items and of marine life, particularly fish species found in Philippine waters ( inspired by the work of Kumataro Ito, a Japanese fish painter). In these exhibits, her set featured detailed and precise portrayals of native fish like the lapu-lapu (grouper), baga baga (big-fin bigeye), and other tropical varieties. These are not simply illustrations—they are cultural statements, each one labeled with its local Filipino name, reinforcing the connection between nature, national identity, and heritage.

Rendered with soft but vivid colors and a delicate precision, her pieces strike a balance between scientific realism and personal expression. The careful attention to detail in the texture, color, and form of each fish reflects both an artist’s eye and a deep respect for nature. By choosing marine life as her subject, Amba Jones’ not only highlights the natural beauty of the Philippines but also draws attention to environmental awareness and conservation—an increasingly urgent theme in the modern world.

Her work feels both nostalgic and contemporary, appealing to viewers with its charm while quietly urging them to appreciate and protect the ocean’s fragile ecosystems. Through her art, she weaves together storytelling, environmental consciousness, and cultural pride in a way that is accessible and meaningful to a wide audience.

John West

An esteemed economist, professor, journalist, author, and artist from Australia, John has been painting on and off for more than 20 years, although he has been less active in this pursuit recently.

For a good cause, however, he is always ready to pick up his brushes and resume painting. His kind and generous spirit motivates him to action. He primarily works with portraits on rice paper, employing a lighthearted and whimsical approach that draws inspiration from Chinese ink painting.

John’s artwork, as seen in the photos, is characterized by expressive, emotive portraiture that blends bold color palettes with raw, textured brushwork. The two portraits featured—one rendered in warm, earthy browns and the other in intense crimson tones—showcase a distinctive style focused on capturing the essence of his subjects through simplified forms and exaggerated facial features. His use of color is deliberate and dramatic, evoking emotion and personality rather than strict realism. The portraits exude a sense of individuality, with each face telling its own story, enhanced by the use of thick lines and strong contrasts.

John’s art reflects a passionate, heartfelt approach that prioritizes expression and character over conventional technique.

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Lebasi (Isabel Montserrat Villaroman)

Isabel Monserrat Villaroman, known artistically as “Lebasi,” is a 27-year-old mixed media artist. A dedicated creator, she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Painting at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and is currently completing her final year in the Master of Fine Arts program at the same institution.

Isabel has taken part in over 40 group exhibitions, with her work often exploring themes of womanhood and nature —celebrating strength through imperfection and the beauty found within it.

Isabel presents an emotionally resonant body of work that seamlessly blends figurative realism with surreal and symbolic elements. Her paintings explore themes of feminine strength, introspection, and transformation. Using rich, saturated colors and dramatic lighting, she creates compositions emitting dreamlike atmospheres.

On one wall, her works depict serene women in contemplative poses, often situated in architecturally complex or mystical environments, blurring the boundaries between the viewer and the subject’s inner world. These pieces suggest an engagement with identity, memory, and the performative nature of presence.

In another set of works, Isabel’s figures embody mythological or celestial qualities. A striking painting of a winged woman in a golden-orange dress underlines themes of empowerment and transcendence. Another artwork shows a woman before a full moon holding a trident, resembling a modern warrior goddess, further emphasizing the spiritual and mythical narrative embedded in her practice.

Jessielaine Punongbayan

Jelly, as called by friends, is a self-taught artist from the Philippines now residing in Austria. She creates art that blends her Filipino heritage with European influences. She has exhibited widely-in Austria and around Europe since. She is a multidisciplinary artist who works across various media, showcasing the breadth and versatility of her creative talent. She explores a wide range of artistic techniques—from linocut and painting with acrylics or watercolor, to printing, working with textured clay and pouring methods. She also designs and handcrafts jewelry, part of her diverse and hands-on approach to art.

In this set, her artwork captures striking moments of urban life through bold lines, lively color blocks, and architectural contrasts. Her cityscapes, rendered in a graphic, almost screen-printed style, highlight the tension and harmony between old and new buildings, light and shadow, movement and stillness. Her compositions reflect a keen eye for structure and rhythm, transforming everyday city scenes into vivid, almost cinematic snapshots of modern life.

Lerma Julian

Lerma is a distinguished Filipina abstract painter celebrated for her bright, emotionally resonant works.

Beyond creating art, Lerma is a committed patron of the arts. She founded Life ‘n Arts, a community dedicated to providing quality art education and materials to local creatives in Santa Rosa, Laguna. 

Lerma’s artwork, as seen in this abstract painting, showcases a dynamic exploration of color, texture, and movement. The composition swirls with rich, organic forms, blending earthy browns and deep reds with deep yellows, blues, and hints of white. This interplay creates a sense of fluid motion, almost volcanic or cosmic in nature, suggesting themes of creation, transformation, and energy. 

The piece is highly tactile, with layers of translucent pigment giving it a depth that invites viewers to look closer and interpret their own meaning. Julian’s expressive use of resin-like gloss adds a luminous finish, enhancing the visceral impact of the work. Through abstraction, she captures the raw beauty of chaotic harmony, allowing emotion and instinct to guide the visual experience.

Doreen Marco

A Filipino-Canadian with a deep-rooted passion for creativity, Doreen Marco discovered her artistic spark at a young age and has continued to nurture it throughout her life. For Doreen, art is more than a hobby—it is a deeply personal form of expression and reflection. Whether through painting, drawing, or simply finding inspiration in the beauty of everyday moments, she remains closely connected to her artistic roots. Her philosophy in life mirrors the qualities found in her art: thoughtful, intricate, and delicately balanced, revealing both a softness of spirit and a quiet inner strength.

This duality is vividly present in her paintings, which radiate a quiet elegance rooted in nature’s simplicity. Working in a watercolor-inspired style, Doreen captures delicate floral imagery set against luminous, gradient backgrounds that shift between soft hues of lavender, blue, green, and gold. Her compositions are subtle yet intentional, where fields of wildflowers, tender blossoms, and graceful branches seem to float in tranquil, dreamlike atmospheres. With a minimalist touch and an eye for emotional depth, Doreen invites viewers into a contemplative space—one that honors the beauty of stillness, the charm of impermanence, and the meditative power of art.

 

 

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Margo Calderero-Le Lain

Margo Le Lain is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Rennes, France. She leads ACCES (Art and Cross-Cultural Exchange Society), a dynamic collective of artists from around the world committed to using art as a powerful bridge between cultures.

Margo’s art is a radiant exploration of water, light, and energy—each piece a meditative dive into the elemental rhythms of the natural world. Her paintings show the movement and mystery of the ocean, rendered in hues of blue, green, and white. With fluid, swirling forms and layers of translucent textures, her works suggest waves, tides, and the pulse of water in constant motion.

Her compositions are luminous and immersive, dotted with fine details that resemble stars, droplets, or bubbles—adding a cosmic dimension to her seascapes. Each canvas appears alive with kinetic energy, as if capturing fleeting moments of nature’s grandeur: the crest of a wave, the splash of a waterfall, or the quiet shimmer of moonlight on water. Her palette is rich and saturated, yet softened by ethereal transitions, reflecting both power and serenity.

Margo’s art bridges abstraction and nature, offering not just a visual experience but an emotional and sensory one—inviting the viewer to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the flowing essence of life.

Zorrick Enriquez

Zorrick Enriquez, a graduate of Batangas State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication, consistently earned the Artist of the Year title throughout his college years and many other awards since his professional career—cementing his reputation early on as a visionary talent in the Philippine art scene.

Zorricks’ art showcases a deep reverence for the drama and beauty of natural skies. His vertical paintings, framed with intricate black molding and accented with textured, sculptural bases, depict vivid skies in moments of dynamic transformation — blazing sunsets, swirling clouds, and serene horizons.

Each piece merges painting and sculpture, with the bottom portions of the frames extended into organic, three-dimensional forms resembling rock or driftwood. These textured elements appear to ground the sky scenes in the natural world, giving the viewer the impression of looking through a window into a fleeting moment in nature.

Zorrick’s use of color is striking and emotional, with bold transitions between warm oranges, fiery yellows, and cool blues. His brushwork captures motion and atmosphere, evoking the raw, ever-changing character of the sky. Overall, his work blends realism with expressive abstraction, creating immersive skyscapes that celebrate light, texture, and transformation.

Rob Detoyato

Rob is a Vienna-based photographer originally from the Philippines, known for his compelling work in conceptual portraiture, fashion editorials, and event photography. With a sharp eye for emotion and detail, his photography blends technical precision with an intuitive sense of storytelling—often using his trusted Leica M to capture natural tones, rich textures, and the quiet intensity of his subjects.

In this set, Rob favors a timeless black-and-white style, which strips distractions away from the subject and emphasizes emotion, form, and contrast. This choice lends a vintage or documentary tone to the portraits. The poses are carefully composed, with the subject sitting or standing in poised, contemplative stances. The direct gaze into the camera suggests intimacy and seriousness, evoking a sense of connection with the viewer.

The subject is dressed in elegant traditional attire, highlighting cultural identity and heritage. The clothing is of Filipino origin, suggesting a reverence for tradition and possibly a storytelling element rooted in regional identity, knowing that the subject is born Filipino-Italian. The backgrounds are clean and uncluttered, directing all focus to the subject. This minimalist approach emphasizes the person, their expression, and their attire without any competing visual noise.Both portraits convey a subdued intensity — not overtly dramatic, but emotionally charged. This suggests Rob aims to capture not just appearance, but inner presence and story.

Danvic Briones

Danvic is an exceptional visual artist, dedicated therapist, and design innovator from Canada.

Danvic’s art is a stunning fusion of craftsmanship and unique storytelling. He carves intricate designs into soft wood, transforming each piece into a tactile canvas full of texture and depth. In the painting shown, his detailed carving technique mimics the look of stained glass, with bold black outlines framing sections of rich, jewel-toned color. Every flower petal, leaf, and brick is given life through hand-painted details and a glossy varnish that enhances both the color and the texture. His work captures everyday beauty—like a blooming garden and a weathered blue door—and elevates it into something almost sacred, inviting the viewer to stop, look closer, and appreciate the art in the ordinary.

It’s no surprise that his talent has earned him numerous awards and recognition in the art community. Beyond the visual arts, Danvic has also made a mark in the literary world as the author and illustrator of the acclaimed children’s book “Jesse the Dragosaur”, a testament to his storytelling ability and artistic versatility.

Kristine Camille Cruz

KC’s artistic journey was inspired by the colorful worlds of anime and manga, which led her to explore illustration as her first creative outlet. She practices a range of multimedia platforms—from digital art and photography to visual storytelling and design.

As a former Cultural Officer at the Philippine Embassy in Vienna, her art radiates cultural pride, warmth, and attentiveness to heritage. Her standout piece—a dignified portrait of a native woman in elaborate traditional attire—demonstrates her deep respect for indigenous identity. The subject’s posture and gaze show quiet strength, while KC’s detailed rendering of the beadwork, patterns, and feathered headdress reflects a commitment to accuracy and cultural celebration. The muted background draws focus to the woman’s expression and intricate costume, enhancing the solemn beauty of the piece.

Her art reveals a versatile and evocative style that gracefully spans both nature and cultural portraiture. In the other painting, a red kite drifts across a vast, cloud-filled sky, capturing a sense of freedom, nostalgia, and serenity through soft, impressionistic brushstrokes and a vivid yet balanced color palette.

Overall, KC’s work blends gouache and/or digital illustration with deep cultural storytelling—balancing reverence for tradition with a fresh, modern visual voice.

 

Charmaine Taus

A Filipino-Austrian artist and tattooer known for her bold, vivid style, Charmaine brings her creative vision to life on canvas and skin. She is one of the founders of sige! and its current president.

Charmaine’s body of work showcases a fusion of abstraction, symbolism, and pattern-based expression. Her pieces reveal a curiosity for both structure and spontaneity, using clean geometry with organic forms. One of her standout paintings features a striking composition of eyes floating amidst undulating waves in shades of blue, teal, and silver—an almost hypnotic study in repetition, line work, and human perception. The eyes, meticulously framed in flowing wave-like patterns, gives off a sense of watchfulness and introspection.

In contrast, another canvas explores rhythm and order through a bold grid of yellow and black horizontal lines, interspersed with small white squares. This piece carries a tactile sense of movement, achieved through subtle imperfections and layered texture, which challenge the viewer to find meaning in repetition and color contrasts.

A third work, rendered in stark black ink on white paper, leans into surrealist minimalism. Abstract figures and musical forms intertwine with botanical and mechanical motifs in a visual language that is at once cryptic and deeply expressive. Charmaine’s use of intricate line work and fluid, interconnected shapes in this monochromatic drawing invites multiple interpretations, blurring the lines between nature, technology, and the subconscious.

Altogether, Charmaine Taus’s art offers a thoughtful exploration of visual rhythm, symbolism, and the interplay between chaos and control—drawing viewers into layered narratives that ask to be read beyond the surface.

 

Harold Khan

Harold, a co-founder of sige!, is a Filipino-Singaporean visual artist who has participated in numerous group exhibitions both in Vienna and internationally, most recently at the Paris Art Capital Exhibit.

Harold’s art reveals a striking blend of realism, pop culture, and cultural symbolism. His portraiture stands out for its meticulous attention to facial detail and expressive features, capturing both strength and elegance in his subjects. A recurring motif in his work is the use of regal imagery—golden crowns, flowing hair, and empowered stances—highlighting themes of royalty and empowerment.

Harold often integrates modern and nostalgic elements, and is sometimes including animated characters, layered harmoniously over more traditional portraiture. This juxtaposition adds a playful yet meaningful narrative, bridging generations and inviting viewers to engage with both personal and collective memory. His use of lively colors and sharp contrasts, particularly with vivid blues and warm skin tones, contributes to a bold visual impact.

Overall, Harold’s style can be described as contemporary realism with a pop-cultural and cultural twist—where empowerment, nostalgia, and beauty intersect.

 

Marie Khan

 

Marie spent most of her career as a freelance writer and photography-hobbyist after graduating from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in Journalism. She has recently rediscovered her love for painting—something that she once enjoyed but had long taken a backseat to her other creative pursuits.

Now, as she returns to painting with fresh eyes and a renewed heart, she finds herself rediscovering the magic of it—the way colors blend, the meditative rhythm of each stroke, and the unfiltered freedom that comes with putting brush to canvas. Marie’s art reflects a deep connection to nature and a clear affection for her favorite color—blue. Her paintings radiate calm and serenity, often set against azure backdrops that evoke both the tranquility of water and the freedom of open skies. In her depiction of koi fish swimming gracefully among golden ginkgo leaves, and a sea turtle making its way across a sunlit shore, Marie combines fine detail with rich textures and a sense of gentle movement. Her work captures peaceful, almost meditative moments in nature, using blue not just as a color, but as an emotional anchor that unifies her compositions.

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Tara Let’s was more than an exhibit—it was a coming together of people, stories, and visions across cultures and continents. What began as a simple call to gather became a shared journey through creativity, identity, and connection. The artworks spoke not only of individual expression but also of collective memory and hope, bridging distances with brushstrokes, carvings, and conversations. With every piece displayed and every hand extended in support, Tara Let’s affirmed that art—when made together—can transcend borders, deepen community ties, and remind us all that movement, whether creative or cultural, is always better when done side by side.

Thank you to everyone for making these exhibits memorable, see you all again in September!

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