Filipina artist to display art in New York show

AFILIPINA illustrator clinched a spot at a prestigious art show in New York City this February. Illustrator Gaby M. Tantuico will be one of 40 select artists exhibiting in a Conception Arts show on Thursday, February 21, at the M1-5 Lounge in New York City.

Tantuico, 24, bested hundreds of applicants as she underwent a rigorous screening process before being included in the list of top 40 featured artists. Conception Arts boasts an innovative style of curation, providing platforms for emerging artists across the US and Europe. Some notable exhibiting artists include photographer Ysabel Cacho and pointillism expert Lisa Fabregas. Other notable artists who had previously been featured include painter Christine Yielding, sculptor Eric Beascochea, and video editor DaJuan Bryson.

For this exhibit, Tantuico will include excerpts from her first solo show entitled “A Brief History of Home” which features ink and watercolor illustrations of her memories growing up in the Philippines as well as new pieces. Her work will explore the realities of growing up in the Philippines juxtaposed with her experiences living and working in New York.

Born and raised in Manila, and having grown up in various places in Samar and Leyte, Tantuico moved to New York City in 2015 to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) where she graduated cum laude in 2018. During her junior year, her thesis adaptation of “The Gift of the Magi” was selected as part of the “Beautiful Losers” exhibit which went on display in April, 2017, at SVA’s Chelsea Gallery.

She currently works as a communication designer at Yeh Ideology, an award-winning talent strategies firm.

Conception Arts was founded in 2011 in New York City by artists Rachel Wilkins and Mike Wolf. Its mission is to “reshape and re-energize artistic communities around the world.” They have set-up exhibits in various states all over the United States and the United Kingdom.