Artistic Diversity in Motion: How the Visayan Art Fair Shapes the Creative Identity of the Visayas

I have been a fan of art fairs so much since my high school years, exposed to not-so-many exhibitions but already enough to shape my perception of art in a humanistic perspective. In Cebu, many exhibitions take place from time to time, especially during anniversaries or commemorations of particular artists or organizations who have shaped the artistic identity of Cebu Island. Tubo Art Fair and Visayan Art Fair are a few of them that are held in many exhibition spaces and galleries, attracting art enthusiasts and visitors by the time they take place. Many Cebuano artists, artisans across the Visayas region, and enthusiasts gather in one place to celebrate, support, and empower art in the most collaborative way.

Visayan Art Fair is an art event in the Philippines that has been influential and contributing to the artistic character and identity of the country since its first edition in 2021. In this event, artists, art organizations, galleries, painters, and other individuals from the art community of the Visayas region and beyond gather in one place to celebrate it. Originally, this initiative began in Regions 6, 7, and 8 of the Visayas to unite artists and works across the said regions, to celebrate and become proud of the arts they make and the culture that has developed within the creative community. What started as a simple celebration of the existence of art in the Visayas has now become a big event for Visayan artists and art enthusiasts.

Visayan Art Fair features many works from popular and relevant art figures in the Visayas and beyond, especially pieces that reflect the culture of the Visayas and are supported by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The fair includes galleries not only from the Visayas but also from Luzon and Mindanao, as well as international participation from Malaysia's The Artemis Art Gallery, which adds inclusivity to this initiative.

This event includes exhibitions, speeches, and conversations with artists, as well as interesting workshops and performances that reflect the culture of the Visayas, emphasizing that people in the country really do have different forms of expression when it comes to utilizing art. Since 2021, this fair has had a specific theme every year, where the displayed arts are aligned with the theme. In 2024, the theme was "Artistic Diversity," held at Oakridge Business Park in Cebu City. Many galleries and relevant personalities were welcomed and presented in the fair.

It started as a simple exhibition in 2021, but now the event has already expanded its scope and goals as a fair for artists and for the presence of art in the Visayas. Many things have changed, including traditional galleries transforming into wide-scope venues containing hundreds of works from different artists, installations, talks with prominent figures, workshops, and an interesting display of works that attract and encourage viewers to dig deeper into Visayan art and understand how these arts promote the identity of the entire region.

This event features exhibits, talks, workshops, and cultural performances, highlighting the unique styles and expressions of Filipino artists. The 2024 fair, held at Oakridge Business Park in Cebu, was themed "Artistic Diversity" and featured 31 galleries from across the Philippines, including notable artists like Kidlat Tahimik, James Doran-Webb, and Pinta de Baryo.

I really wanted to be able to join the talks and workshops because I just visited the art fair to explore the works displayed from different galleries. From what I have learned, relevant artists from the Visayas and Mindanao, and even Luzon, talked about their insights on art in terms of sustainability and making this passion a business. It was a chance to learn more about the fair, but still I enjoyed scanning the works placed in different exhibits, learning different cultures and practices through these masterpieces.

On my next blog, I will dig deeper into the best artworks I have found during the Visayan Art Fair, talk about their origins, artists, cultural significance, and my personal interpretation of the exhibited pieces. For me, visiting that art fair was not all about looking at these works, but also knowing and understanding how the entire artistry of the Visayas operates across regions and throughout time.

As I left the venue, I carried with me not only photos and impressions, but also a deeper appreciation of how art continues to thrive in our islands. The Visayan Art Fair reminded me that creativity is not confined to canvases and galleries—it lives in communities, in conversations, and in the shared pride of our culture. More than an event, it is a movement that reflects who we are as a region and as a people, continuously shaping and reshaping our identity through art.