The two-day stint of Graphika Manila 2024, Asia’s biggest annual conference for creatives in the world of design and illustration, took place at the SMX Convention Center last February 17 and 18.
For Filipino artists, this event served as a networking hub at both professional and personal levels. One of the event’s celebrated speakers, Mark Deutsch of design studio Happy Garaje enthused, “It’s nice to be where you understand what you’re all going through…Conferences like this are the start of many collaborative projects and they’re also a big source of inspiration.” After 19 installations, Graphika continues to embolden attendees to push the fold of their respective specialties.
Vibrance in all forms
Day one of Graphika spotlighted homegrown talent, uniquely featuring an all-Filipino lineup of creatives as its speakers, who imparted how they established their places in the local and international creative industry. The convention commenced with a talk by Jethro Olba—designer, illustrator, and creative director of local apparel brand Antibiotic Smile—about “Embracing and Evolving your own Creative Identity” amid hardships in life that attempt to snuff out one’s creativity. Returning to the Graphika stage, Jay Santiago of Riot Inc. gave updates on “Building a Legacy: A Voltes V Story.” He recounted all the effort, time, and passion that was poured into the 2023 GMA Network Voltes V live-action adaptation.
Deutsch came onstage third and furthered the topic of creating with passion in his talk titled, “Stories and Friendship.” Emphasizing that art always attracts a community, he claimed, “Sometimes our work inspires others; other times we see work that inspires us.” Similarly, virtual avatar BITTO’s muralist and creator Anjo Bolarda expounded on following curiosity to mediums and art styles that pique one’s interest. He posited that excitement and spontaneity are at the heart of being an artist, and are the key to finding one’s niche.
In the spirit of keeping creativity alive, Pauline and Ivan Despi of Acid House encouraged budding artists to experience new things to truly find themselves in the art scene, with their talk “Starting Before You’re Ready.” Liza Flores, Abi Goy, and Fran Alvarez of design house Studio Dialogo spoke on “Drawing for Design,” which discussed the importance of creating art with purpose. Their portfolio of book covers, informative posters, and safety procedures drives their advocacy for information and children’s literature home.
Ryan Serrano, 3D modeler for New Zealand company Wētā FX, closed the first day of sessions with his talk on “The Art of Achieving Goals.” From drawing fanart of baby Groot in 2014 to modeling Groot’s final form for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Serrano pushed artists to believe in themselves no matter the odds. “If someone could do it, so could you,” he asserted.
Coloring outside the lines
For the second day, seven creatives–four of whom were international guests–each geared their talks toward retracing the trajectories of their careers. Launching the program in high spirits was Mark Mendoza, founder of local animation studio Friendly Foes. Their outputs typically tackle social issues in the Philippines through ironic or exaggerated premises, as explained in his talk “3rd World Problems.” Another self-starter, Risa Rodil, took the stage to explain how one can “Embrace Your Weird to Make Authentic Work”; she recounted her own journey from avidly posting fanart on Tumblr to officially being commissioned by Marvel, Disney, and Penguin Random House.
Singaporean artist Jackson Tan then spoke on how to “Find Your Superpower!” by sharing the curation process behind Art-Zoo, an inflatable park installation he ideated to introduce splashes of color and childlike wonder to city life. But leaping into big projects is not so easy, of course. In “I Am Abi,” portrait photographer Abi Miguel reflected on this by stating, “I am deeply passionate about what I do; it is ingrained in my soul. But there is also this fear that paralyzes me from stepping out.” However, she realized that in the face of scrutiny, an artist’s greatest asset is the ability to continually build onto their skills.
Benjamin Su returned to the Graphika stage after eight years with a presentation titled, “Pixar Animation, Marvel Comics and Toys!”, where he unveiled never-before-seen progression reels for beloved movies such as Toy Story 4, Coco, and Turning Red. Reveling in the “power of now,” Su proudly announced that he’d recently become a cover illustrator for Marvel Comics, a lifelong dream of his. In the same vein, Lauren Tsai divulged how much courage “Committing to a Dream” takes, as the title of her talk suggested. Beyond the hard work and insecurities, art holds fragments of oneself, and it takes bravery to reveal that to the world.
She expressed, “If you’re putting yourself in your work—whether it’s a little bit, a lot, or all of you, and that’s terrifying—I believe that will bring you closer to creating art that speaks to other people.”
Capping off Graphika Manila 2024 was New York City-based illustrator Timothy Goodman, who was also a speaker back in 2016. In “Sharing Your Personal Story is a Form of Activism,” he explored the integration of romantic, familial, and communal love into his work. While he did not consider himself a full-fledged activist, Goodman believed art to be a medium through which beliefs survive and messages are effectively imparted.
A thousand other creations
In the coos of familiarity with old art and awe of the new, Graphika left a trickle of inspiration that seeped through its audience. Neil Escueta, director of a visual media team, fulfilled his first Graphika with his members in pursuit of art that tickles the modern eye. Escueta learned and understood the processes laid down by the artists. He was most fond of Happy Garaje and the women of Studio Dialogo for their advocacies and matching art styles.
On the other hand, Kath Tirona, creative designer for a pharmaceutical company, has been an avid attendee of Graphika since 2017. Tirona dips into the world of art as a personal vacation from the corporate aesthete. “As an artist, minsan we’re caught up with the works like ‘yung [corporate] jobs natin. Nagiging out of touch na rin tayo na there’s another world there.” Olba and Rodil’s insights on art pursuance made them Tirona’s fast favorites.
(As an artist, we’re sometimes caught up with our corporate jobs. We become out of touch with the fact that there’s another world out there.)
For Escueta, Tirona, and the rest of the audience, Graphika Manila 2024 was an ode to the inner creative. It celebrated the existence of art and its pursuit, regardless of how relentless and dim the journey may seem. This birth of inspiration draws endlessly from the thousand other creations yet to be seen. Graphika has proven through time that art persists and that starting that pursuit is a spark in someone else’s. When an artist hits the stage, a head in the crowd listens, and they too, someday, can take the mic on.
