Kick off National Arts Month with Art House's latest 'Lakbay' exhibit celebrating Christina 'Ling' Quisumbing

Art House is kicking off National Arts Month with the latest iteration of its Lakbay series, this time celebrating assemblage artist Christina “Ling” Quisumbing.

Happening from January 30 to February 1 at the Mezzanine of Discovery Primea in Makati City, the exhibit, dubbed "Lakbay 2026: Through Visual Poetries with Christina ‘Ling’ Quisumbing," will again focus on Filipino diaspora.

Quisumbing, who lived out the diasporic experience in New York for 23 years, examines and reimagines objects and their contexts through comprehension of material and site specificity.

Her artistic practice involves an interest in and respect for the life and history of objects. Conferred with titles that employ wit and humor, they ultimately express her personal poetries.

Viewing art as pages of an autobiography, Quisumbing practices art in various mediums like drawing, photography, and assemblage art, or combining objects into a single space.

Curated by Marika Constantino, "Through Visual Poetries" highlights Quisumbing’s expansive artistic range. It will include works from Manila and New York from various decades. Some have been exhibited while others have been in storage for years.

The constant use of discarded and repurposed materials immediately drew Art House to the works of Quisumbing.

“Materiality was the binding element that made her the ideal headliner for this year’s Lakbay. As a seasoned artist, Ling’s body of work is also a testament that the Philippines’ got talent,” Art House Founder Carlo Pineda said.

“Going back to the DNA of Art House, we have always been intentional about collaborating with artists that work with repurposed materials and transforming them into works of art. The sustainability aspect of her assemblage work instantly aligned with our program.”

In putting together the show, Constantino also had a vision to highlight the different plots, subplots and nuances of living in the diaspora. She reflected on the reasons Filipinos find homes in other parts of the world.

“It’s never a one-size-fits-all kind of categorization,” she said. “With each artist we feature, they bring with them their personal experiences. Rewards, difficulties, identity, and longing are distinct for each one. We aim to highlight these viewpoints and hope that the audiences here will find resonance in them.”

Joining this year’s creative exchange are eight global Filipino artists—ALLDEFS (UAE), Katrina Bello (US), Kim Cruz (US), Joseph Gabriel (UK), Rasco Jugarap (BE), Kulay Labitingan (UK), Angela Silva (US) and Pinky Ibarra Urmaza (US)—who will each respond to Quisumbing’s works through art. Each of the artists responded based on the level or connection or resonance with Quisumbing, showcasing their distinct approach, voice, styles, and medium.

Constantino was intentional about bringing together global Filipino artists from varied backgrounds, generations, and locations to bring unique perspectives.

“Some of the artists featured are close to Ling. Some were unaware of her, which was interesting. We were able to educate them about her work and practice,” Constantino said.

Launched by Art House in 2025, Lakbay aims to be a space for Filipino artists living abroad to foster cultural exchange and engagement. The series celebrates the various journeys of Filipino artists from around the globe whose experiences as part of the diaspora have helped shape their creative expressions.

"Lakbay 2026: Through Visual Poetries" starts with a vernissage on January 29 at Discovery Primea.

There is also a Self-Decoding Workshop with Kulay Labitingan on January 30, and a Kids Workshop with Kim Cruz on January 31.

Quisumbing will have an artist talk on January 31 and a roundtable with all the artists happens that same day.

Angela Silva will have a Printing Demo on February 1. — LA, GMA Integrated News