OF ART AND WINE SERIES

A cornerstone of Gallery C’s curatorial program, the Of Art and Wine Series has functioned as a sustained exhibition platform for contemporary Philippine art, presenting artists whose practices reflect the diversity and complexity of the local art landscape. Spanning emerging voices, established practitioners, and leading figures in Philippine art, the series foregrounds artistic inquiry through thoughtfully conceived solo and group exhibitions.

Presented through six exhibitions annually, the program offers artists the opportunity to develop focused presentations that engage with a broad public audience. This regular cadence of exhibitions fosters an ongoing dialogue between artistic practices, perspectives, and generations, creating a dynamic space for cultural exchange and critical engagement within the context of contemporary Philippine art.

ON VIEW

Of Art and Wine 43rd Edition  

"Between Layers of Stillness" by Benjie Cabangis

Between Layers of Stillness presents a series of abstract paintings that unfold through the slow layering of gesture, surface, and light. Each work emerges from a process of applying, scraping, and glazing — acts that mirror both the passage of time and the contemplative stillness of seeing. The process embraces pentimento — the visible memory of earlier decisions — allowing color and texture to coexist as both concealment and disclosure. What lies beneath breathes through subtle fissures and veils of pigment, evoking the way thought, silence, and sensation overlap within the mind.

In these recent works, shifting chromatic fields — greens dissolving into yellows, blues
deepening into orange light — trace the transient harmonies of light and space. The surfaces
suggest seas, skies, and horizons that seem to hover between emergence and disappearance. Through their luminous veiling, these paintings capture both movement and stillness, echoing the mutable states of water and atmosphere, the fleeting moment when horizons meet.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Benjie Cabangis (b. 1957, Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino abstract painter whose work reflects decades of sustained studio practice, teaching, and engagement with contemporary Philippine art. Working primarily through abstraction, he explores the expressive possibilities of paint, texture, gesture, and layered surfaces, creating compositions that balance structure and atmosphere.

He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of the Philippines in 1978 and has since developed a distinguished career as both artist and educator. A longtime faculty member of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, he served as Chair of the Department of Studio Arts and was later conferred the title of Professor Emeritus. Cabangis has held 31 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous international group exhibitions across Asia and the United States. His works are represented in prestigious public, institutional, private, and corporate collections, including the International Finance Corporation (World Bank), Washington, DC; the Philippine Consulate in New York; the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP); the GSIS Museum; Bulwagan ng Dangal, UP Diliman; and the UP College of Fine Arts. His works are also held in corporate collections such as the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Far East Bank and Trust Co., SGV & Co., MMLDC, PHINMA, and PLDT.

In 1978, he was recognized as a recipient of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award, identifying him among the significant young artists of his generation. His other distinctions include the UP Gawad Chancellor Award for Outstanding Visual Artist, the Fernando Amorsolo Professorial Chair in Painting, the Jose Joya Professorial Chair, and the UP Arts Productivity Award. He is also included in the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. Recent paintings continue Cabangis’s exploration of abstraction through layers of texture, gesture, and accumulated marks. His process is both intuitive and deliberate, allowing each layer to conceal, reveal, and transform what lies beneath. Drawing inspiration from landscape and atmosphere, his paintings unfold through the accumulation of marks, textures, and subtle shifts of color, creating meditative spaces that invite reflection, sustained looking, and a heightened awareness of place and time.

For inquiries, please send us a message through email info@gallery-c.org 

ARCHIVES

Of Art and Wine 42nd Edition  

"Intimate Reflections" by Spencer Ozo

Spencer Ozo is a contemporary artist whose practice moves fluidly between abstraction and figuration. Working across portraiture, geometric compositions, and floral imagery, his paintings reflect a deep engagement with observation, emotion, and the complexity of everyday experience.

Ozo approaches art as an evolving visual diary, allowing each work to respond to personal thoughts, shifting moods, and lived moments. Rather than limiting himself to a single subject or style, he embraces variation as a natural extension of the human condition. His works invite viewers to look closely and find resonance within their own inner landscapes.

"Intimate Reflections" runs from 28 July to 26 September 2026

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Of Art and Wine 41st Edition  

"Harbinger Metropolis" by Ivan Co

Artist Ivan Co invites viewers to confront the precipice of a new era, where the boundaries between utopia and dystopia blur into an uncertain horizon. Through his meticulously crafted automaton, gravitram, and pendulum sculptures, Co constructs a world in motion, hinting at the profound transformations already underway.

Co's exhibition doesn't offer definitive answers; instead, it poses a series of compelling questions. Are these intricate mechanisms precursors to a gleaming golden age, where technology elevates humanity to new heights of efficiency and harmony? Or do they whisper tales of a looming dark age, where the very system designed to serve us could become instruments of control or decay? The intricate gears of the automaton, the relentless journey of the gravitram, and the hypnotic swing of the pendulum all serve as harbingers – symbols of accelerating change that will inevitably reshape our urban landscapes and our very existence.

"Harbinger Metropolis" is a powerful reflection on the rapid pace of progress and the choices we face as we stand on the cusp of an unpredictable future. Co's work compels us to consider the dual potential embedded within every innovation, every societal shift. The next age is indeed upon us, and as Ivan Co's exhibition subtly suggests, its ultimate form remains, for now, anyone's guess.

Harbinger Metropolis is on view at Gallery C, Level 3, Conrad Manila from 26 May until 25 July 2026.

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GUIDED VISIT

Guided Visits offer a deeper engagement with Gallery C’s exhibitions and Conrad Manila’s permanent collection, foregrounding the artistic, cultural, and spatial contexts through which the works are encountered. Visits are available by appointment.

To arrange a visit, select your preferred date and time using the calendar below.

Integral to the vision of Conrad Manila is a commitment to contemporary Philippine art. Comprising 738 artworks by established and emerging Filipino artists, the collection is woven into the architecture and daily life of the hotel, allowing art to be encountered beyond the confines of a traditional gallery setting.

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