MANILA, Philippines – Illustrators and art enthusiasts, this one’s for you! The Manila Illustration Fair (MIF) is set to return for its second year from September 13 to 15.
First launched in 2023 by illustrator-designer Dan Matutina and his design studio, Plus63, MIF serves as a space for Filipino illustrators to champion illustration “as an independent craft/career.” It also doubles as an avenue for local illustrators to interact with fellow Southeast Asian artists.
For MIF’s second edition, numerous artists from the three-day event’s inaugural year are taking the reins to put together an even grander fair — all for the love of illustration.
MIF 2024 will be held at the Parola Gallery Atrium at UP Diliman’s College of Fine Arts in Quezon City, which will allow MIF to be easily accessible to the general public, including students, artists, young adults, and art enthusiasts alike. The event will run from 10 am to 5 pm on all days.
“We want budding young artists to view illustration as a distinct art form and a viable career path, and of course for art enthusiasts to support the talents of these illustrators,” MIF head organizer Elle Shivers told Rappler.
From engaging activities to special projects, here’s a rundown of everything you can expect to see at the 2024 edition of the Manila Illustration Fair!
Featured artists, collectives, creative businesses
One of MIF’s main draws is its artist market, where art enthusiasts can get their hands on merch by the event’s carefully curated pool of featured artists. There will be a total of 30 artists to catch: 15 from the National Capital Region, 10 from outside NCR, and five from other Southeast Asian countries.
Acknowledging the Filipino illustration scene’s Manila-centric nature, MIF’s organizers strived to enable more regional talents to showcase their work, offering illustrators residing outside of NCR their slots free of charge for this year’s iteration.
Find the artists here:
- Addi Panadero
- Alyssa Babasa
- Allyschu
- ALIEN OPINIONS of APB
- Art of Pronch
- Artofpatoo
- Bea Batungbacal
- Bethania Brigitta
- Bloomer
- Chenny Aviana
- Dave Lajara
- Ev Yu
- Hey Mady!
- Ina Palacio
- Ja Amores
- Jamie Bauza
- JC Lo (JCdelic)
- Josel Nicolas
- Kenny Tai
- kieltokki
- Marcushiro
- Nada
- Misha Felix
- nnene.iie
- Ohwelladays
- Patricia Salonga
- Paulina Almira
- Ping Sasinan
- pi.near
- Sobsannix
- Studio Micki
Attendees will now also be able to purchase goods from booths being manned by creative collectives and businesses, such as Manila Middle Ground and Makati bookstore Everything’s Fine.
Talks, workshops, discussions
However, MIF is more than just an art market — it’s a great starting point for learning about the ins and outs of pursuing illustration as well.
As illustration is a vast discipline on its own, MIF’s organizers are putting together numerous discussions, workshops, and talks led by industry veterans for the three-day event. Each day will correspond to a different theme, all covering specific aspects of illustration, from finding one’s style to emphasizing the importance of sustaining creative communities:
- Day 1: “Is Style Set in Stone?: Defining Your Work as an Illustrator”
- Day 2: “Illustrator’s Journey: From Studio Work to Independent Practice”
- Day 3: “Building Community through Illustration: Exploring the Global Illustration Fair Network”
“Illustration is kind of a non-linear or sometimes even confusing career path to pursue especially in the Philippines where the industry is still in its nascent stages; demystifying it is so important because that’s the only way to entice people to actually consider it as a viable, exciting career,” Shivers said.
Day 1 will see seasoned illustrators talk about how they developed their unique illustration styles. There will also be a portfolio review with limited slots.
For Day 2, MIF will be mounting a talk to help attendees get a better idea of how to transition from working in a studio to working as an independent illustrator. There will be two workshops on this day: Illustrating for Children with Ang INK (20 slots), and a comics workshop with Rob Cham (30 slots). Pre-registration is required for both workshops.
On Day 3, there will be a talk that focuses on the importance of “building and sustaining a creative community, and expanding one’s network both locally and globally.” There will also be two workshops to cap off the fair: a riso printing workshop led by Sneckoil Press (25 slots), followed by a screenprinting workshop (12 slots) by Freedom Print Lab. Both workshops require pre-registration.
And don’t worry — all the topics tackled on each day are beginner-friendly, too!
Activities, collaborations
Beyond the talks, art market, and workshops, there will also be interactive activities for attendees of all ages. There will be a temporary tattoo booth, a sticker exchange bar, live portraits, and an interactive mural wall.
MIF also teased a partnership with Kodawari, a restaurant that has long supported the Filipino illustration scene. It will be a “special project that celebrates how their food fuels Filipino creatives.”
Shivers told Rappler that attendees can expect “something collaborative” and related to the eye-catching posters the famed Filipino-Japanese eatery has up on its walls. MIF also teased that they’re working on merchandise for the collaboration.
What are you most looking forward to at the 2024 Manila Illustration Fair? – Rappler.com