Manila, this is art

MANILA, Philippines - Since the Industrial Revolution, illustration has been a ubiquitous part of society, though often overlooked. Gracing magazines and advertisements, it brought art to the masses. Illustrators have been largely anonymous, but recent years have seen their names growing increasingly visible, even as their own respective styles continue to speak for themselves.

Get to know eight of today’s notable illustrators in the Philippines. We’re sure you’ve seen some of their work.

Steph Manuel (astrobazooka.tumblr.com)

Steph Manuel just turned 18 years old, and continues to prove that age is nothing but a number. She has been posting her work online as early as the age of 14, and has since impressed the likes of national publications and Paramore’s frontman Hayley Williams. Steph’s not just an overnight success. Her portraits, a mixture of bold, dynamic lines and bursts of color, prove that she’s here to stay.

Tokwa Peñaflorida (tokwap.tumblr.com)

Tokwa Peñaflorida is a machine, constantly drawing, well into the wee hours of the night. His repertoire includes two children’s books, as well as a two-man show with Soleil Ignacio, “Hello Sailor,” for which he has drawn some ladies, too. There is quite a majestic sheen to his work (while maintaining an unmoving sort of tenderness), and something intangibly, wonderfully magical in the way he seems to capture his audience with his pieces.

Soleil Ignacio (choleil.tumblr.com)

Soleil Ignacio is definitely a girl’s girl. A self-proclaimed fan of beautiful girls — their hair, in particular — she captures their particular aura on paper, with elegant, swooping lines and a hand that clearly knows what it’s doing. She imbues the female face and form with mystery and wonder, filling them with well-kept secrets and causing them to move fluidly in space, in the most harmonious way.

Reese Lansangan (reeseypeasy.com)

Reese Lansangan’s aesthetic is decidedly traditional, at least in terms of medium and style. Although she is a mainstay on the Internet, her blog is often graced by swatches of watercolor and paper cutouts, and is an explosion of color and wonder. Her work’s playfulness extends to the collaged cutouts, which she infuses into her design work. Reese’s college thesis, “D.I.Y. or Die,” gives an idea of the marriage of her creative pursuits — fashion and art — showing you a girl who’s not afraid to work with her hands.

Tof Zapanta (tofzapanta.tumblr.com)

It takes one look at Tof Zapanta’s client list, which includes Discovery Channel magazine and Nike, to have an idea of what kind of artist he is. A powerhouse, Tof’s work has been infiltrating Manila since 2006 through different channels. Reminiscent of the unease in the works of René Magritte and Salvador Dalì’s landscapes, Tof’s brand of surrealism surges with a clean modernity that can be cold and detached at times, but no less chilling or beautiful.

(Tof Zapanta is currently spearheading “Bloom,” an art event this Sept. 29, featuring the works of 70 artists.)

Katrina Teh (artofkatrinateh.tumblr.com)

Katrina Teh is currently working towards her second degree — this time, in Illustration — at the Hong Kong campus of SCAD, but her portfolio shows that she already has a few tricks up her sleeve. There is a strong, solid assurance in her linework, which she manages to flawlessly include in her many projects including Sleepwalk Circus’s album art, for which she won Best Album Packaging and Design at the NU Rock Awards in 2010, and brand development.

Deane Miguel (wearemovingthings.com)

Deane Miguel recreates the fluidity of watercolor through digital painting, rendering the overlays and brush strokes, with a swish of a tablet pen. Currently a part of a new design outfit, Moving Things, Deane’s illustrating capabilities go beyond the digital brush and into things such as branding and identity. Her design work displays an understanding of playful restriction, and an eye for color.

Kitkat Pecson (kitkatpecson.com)

Perhaps you remember the white cutouts of your favorite literary characters gracing the window displays of a certain bookstore a couple of months ago. That was your first introduction to Kitkat Pecson’s work. Not limited to silhouettes, Kitkat has created a number of hits, including a map of George R.R. Martin’s fictional world in A Song of Ice and Fire. Her portfolio has proven her keen understanding of space and color, and the complexity of art and design.

Photos by Gabby Cantero

Makeup by Mollie del Rosario

Produced by Ralph Mendoza

               and RAYMOND ANG

Shot at Daylight Studios