Visual artist Cholo Juan grew up in a family of artists and found great passion for art, music, film, and almost everything creative. He officially started his career when he joined the artist collective Brownmonkeys back in 2009. Cholo’s work can be viewed at FN Designs – Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz Dubai. He is also planning for his solo art exhibition next year.
From an underground art group exhibiting in obscure alternative spaces, to one that can now boast major billboards, commissioned murals and pride of place at events like the Middle East Film and Comic Con, StreetCon, the Sharjah Biennial, among many others – the Brownmonkeys truly have come a long way.
Darwin Guevarra had tough times in breaking through Dubai’s competitive arts circle. However, his creative mind, talented hands and passion for the arts strengthened him to pursue his great lovebeyond challenges. Now, a recognized artist in the emirates, Japat’s masterpieces has opened a space not only for himself, but where Filipino artists would be accepted, respected and honored.
“I breathe art” is a philosophy that fuels Flordeliza Pesigan, the passionate multidisciplinary Filipina artist, who grew up in the Philippines’ National Museum, whose works have been exhibited in events and prestigious spaces around the emirates too many to mention, and who could not think of doing anything else other than painting, sculpting and dancing.
Artist Tini Meyer who specializes in contemporary abstracts, has exhibited and received accolades for her works on canvas and public art not only in the UAE, but also in Canada, Spain, the UK and even China.
Michael Fillon, currently Creative Director at Leo Burnett ARC, is one Filipino ad man with amazingly enviable credentials. Joining the industry even before he graduated from university, he rose to the position of most senior copywriter at Leo Burnett creating campaigns for GM, Philip Morris and P&G barely after college.
Most Influential Filipinos: If Filipino talents are a big thing in the many multinational, regional and local advertising agencies in the UAE right now, it’s because they were given a great head start by several creative geniuses who were the pioneers of the virtual “Filipino ad mafia” – a group exerting a huge influence on the industry, albeit not a sinister one, paving the way for the recognition of Filipino leadership on this front.
Patrick Fronda is a multi-awarded filmmaker based in the United Arab Emirates. He started his career as a visual artist and later became a film editor and an educator teaching college students about the nuts and bolts of film-making at the Murdoch University in Dubai.
Patrick Fronda is a multi-awarded filmmaker based in the United Arab Emirates. Mario Cardenas has a distinction that Photography has provided Mario with a lot of high points in his life.
Antwerp, a city known for its diamond trade, revealed to me during an unplanned visit that it was also hiding other gems like Christian Van Maele.