Meet the artists, hear their stories at Gateway Art Fair 2026
MANILA, Philippines – The Gateway Art Fair is holding its fifth edition this year at the Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City. It will feature over 200 artists and art groups from all over the country, its largest number yet.
More than the volume of participants, however, it will be a chance for young as well as long-time art collectors to meet the artists behind the pieces that will be on display from October 1 to 4.
“With AI now, it’s so easy to come up with beautiful images just by entering a few words or prompts. When you think about it, it’s actually very scary,” said professor Abdulmari “Toym” Ymao Jr., Dean of the University of the Philippines-College of Fine Arts.
He was present at the media briefing held September 22 as staff from the college will lead a talk during the event on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in art education.
Ymao praised the Gateway Art Fair because unlike other local art fairs, this one puts the artists front row and center.
“Visitors will have the chance to see and talk to the artists about their work. In this day and age of artificial intelligence, we should always look for the authentic,” Ymao said.
“The Gateway Art Fair is an opportunity for collectors to learn stories behind art that moves them… from authentic creatives.”
The four-day event is presented by J. Amado Araneta Foundation, Gateway Gallery and Araneta City, and co-presented by Metrobank and in partnership with Megaworld.
This year also marks the first Gateway Art Fair Awards with categories from masterpiece award and breakthrough artist award to the exhibit of the year award.
Aside from the artworks on display at the Gateway Mall 2 atrium, there will be three days of art workshops on mandala making, collaborative drawing, soft sculpting, and relief and rubber cutting.
Check out the art installations by local artists on display on the upper levels of the mall. These include works by Chris Lucas on the struggles of commuting, Elias Pernecita Jr. on art and sustainability, and Nina Libatique’s interactive artwork for pets.
Held annually since 2022, the Gateway Art Fair will be from October 1 to 4 at Gateway Mall 2.
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