20 years of Philippine children's book illustration

MANILA, Philippines - The Ayala Museum presents a collection of visuals that have livened up the pages of Filipino children’s books in an exhibition titled “20 Taon: Celebrating 20 Years of Philippine Children’s Book Illustration.”

It has been 20 years since Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) was formed, being an outcome of an illustration workshop organized by the Goethe Institut and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY). The participants, who eventually became the founding members of Ang INK, thought of organizing an artist group focused on children’s book illustration. With the blessings of the workshop organizers, the group was formed and eventually became the only recognized organization of Filipino artists focused on creating illustrations for children.

The exhibition does not end with the colorful celebration of 20 years of children’s book illustration. It also gives a peek into the next 20 years with a section allotted to recent unpublished works. Pen-and-ink, watercolor and acrylic artworks reinforce the continued appreciation of traditional medium for its classic richness and appeal. The digital illustrations signal more rendering options for illustrators to explore. And after seeing the three-dimensional forms and characters created with wood, fabric and clay, viewers are excited over the possible images and visuals that could fill the pages of picture books in the coming years.

“20 Taon” has been extended up to Feb. 26 at the Ayala Museum.