The artist’s mix of the sacred and profane translates to prints at the special projects section of Art Fair Philippines 2025

On the source images for his latest prints, Manuel Ocampo states, “I primarily search for visuals on platforms like Pinterest, focusing on eclectic subjects such as obese figures, stinky socks, female bodybuilders, Nazi uniforms, and underground horror comics.”

This is the tongue-in-cheek approach of the Filipino artist. Picture aliens with bodybuilder-like physiques, dead birds, and religious icons that look more like they are from an underground comic book. 

For decades, the Filipino artist has been known for his deliberately unsettling paintings—a warped world where the sacred dances with the profane, and high art comments on cultural identity, religion, and history, while thrusting viewers out of their comfort zones.

Drawing from philosopher Mircea Eliade’s concepts of “the sacred” and “the profane,” the artist mixes often spiritual images designed for awe and reverence to contrast with the really, really profane. And his solo exhibition “Ideological Mash-Up/Remix,” which is set to be presented with STPI at ArtFairPH/Projects at Art Fair Philippines 2025 is no exception.

READ: The Michelin Guide is officially in the Philippines

“I am intrigued by the interplay of kitsch, fringe, and fetishistic aesthetics,” says Ocampo, who deliberately crashes saints and Madonnas into a less-than-holy realm. The artist doesn’t randomly provoke either, as he observes that kitsch is  part of Filipino culture, noting that age-old religious icons often already have “a vibrant, cartoony quality.”

The multiple-award-winning Manuel Ocampo

Born in 1965, Ocampo has been known for making the art world clutch its pearls since the 1990s. 

Since moving to the US in the mid-1980s, Ocampo reveled in the marginalized punk culture of the time, establishing that edge of dark humor he would continue to bring into his work over the years, and also sparking social, religious, and cultural discussion in the same rebellious spirit of punk.

In 1992, Ocampo participated in the highly influential exhibition, “Helter Skelter: L.A. Art”—a controversial, almost monumental exhibit that featured works of sex, violence, and skewed Americana aimed at destroying Los Angeles art stereotypes of the time.

Ocampo has also exhibited around Asia and Europe, and participated in the Venice Biennale in 1993 and 2001. He is also a recipient of the Rome Prize at the American Academy, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and Art Matters Inc. 

READ: An essential guide to must-see art exhibits and projects this National Arts Month

Many will also remember his curation of the collective “Bastards of Misrepresentation,” which featured Filipino creatives in multiple international exhibitions.

Breaking new ground with STPI

For “Ideological Mash-Up/Remix,” Ocampo breaks new ground working with the Singapore-based STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, where he has been experimenting with printmaking techniques using his distinctive imagery in a residency in 2019.

Instead of painting, his visual language is marked by a notable shift with the medium of printmaking and papermaking as the framework.

The artist reflects on how the workshop showed him new possibilities. “Working alongside the printmakers and papermakers was invaluable. Each print medium begins with a drawing; for example, with etchings, I would draw on a copper plate using a sharp object like a nail. In contrast, with lithographs, the drawing is done on a metal plate with a grease pencil,” he says.

Jefferson Jong, assistant director of sales at STPI, emphasizes the collaborative nature of Ocampo’s residency. “Artists are invited to explore print and papermaking during their residency at STPI, and oftentimes, these artists would not be practicing in these mediums. This opens up the avenue for them to be more imaginative with regards to the potential of print and paper, as they would not be constricted by any perceived constraints or rules within these techniques.”

The digital edge mixed with the traditional

Drawing from his extensive image bank (stinky socks, female bodybuilders, underground horror comics), Ocampo has utilized STPI’s digital imaging capabilities to transform the found visuals into eclectic collages. 

Don’t let the irreverence fool you. Behind every seemingly random juxtaposition lies a method to the madness. The exhibition’s imposing centerpiece “If All You Are Is A Nail Then Everything Looks Like A Hammer Version 1” exemplifies Ocampo’s practice in print. 

Jong explains how Ocampo “transformed his compositions into tactile surfaces that blur the line between painting, print, and sculpture,” going beyond flat works on paper by using screenprinting and paper casting.

READ: The ‘Sentinel’ sculptures of artist Briccio Santos watch over Legazpi Active Park

Since that 2019 practice, the artist reveals he finds himself continuously drawn to using screenprints in his work today. “This medium is not only accessible but also immediate,” Ocampo says, “allowing for a spontaneous creative process. The materials involved are affordable, making it a practical choice for artists at any stage of their career… Unlike other printmaking techniques, screenprint does not require large machinery like a printing press or complex chemical processes like acid baths. This simplicity not only makes it easier to work with but also encourages experimentation and innovation in my artistic practice.”

**

So what exactly does an “Ideological Mash-Up/Remix” entail? 

If one thing, the upcoming exhibition shows that Ocampo’s work continues to maintain his confrontational edge, with a stylistic drift that explores new technical territories.

While Ocampo’s works are known to be provocative, they are certainly not without substance either, drawing from centuries of academic theory and writing, blending meaning from art, religion, and culture, with symbols, signs, and materiality, all of which make you look.

“Ideological Mash-Up/Remix will be on exhibition at the ArtFairPH/Projects Section at Art Fair Philippines 2025, located on the 2nd Floor of Ayala Tower 2, Ayala Triangle.