At CNTRFLD.ART, we’re as committed to championing artists as we are to honouring the people who make their work possible — the quiet architects and spirited advocates who help shape creative ecosystems from the ground up. In this spirit, we’re thrilled to share a conversation with Trickie Lopa, a powerhouse in the Philippine art scene whose work has profoundly impacted how contemporary Filipino art is experienced and understood, both locally and internationally.

As the newly appointed Deputy Editor of Vogue Philippines and co-founder of Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines, Trickie has spent the last two decades building spaces that make art more accessible, inclusive, and vibrant. Her journey — from passionate observer to hands-on organiser — reveals a deep belief in art’s transformative role in society, and a tireless commitment to elevating both emerging and established voices.

In this wide-ranging exchange, Trickie reflects on the formative moments that led her to the art world, the evolving responsibilities of art fairs, the importance of regional artistic communities, and the joy of discovering new work in unexpected places. This conversation is part of CNTRFLD.ART’s ongoing effort to platform regional voices and diasporic narratives — and to shine a light on the cultural catalysts behind the scenes.

“We’ve not been behind in recognizing women artists too… what excites me? It would be that the eyes of the art world are turning to our part of the globe.” — Trickie Lopa

CNTRFLD. Let’s start at the beginning. Can you share a bit about your early life and what first sparked your interest in art and creativity?

TL. My parents were big readers, so I grew up in a household full of books and periodicals.  My dad would bring home Time and Newsweek every week, also The Wall Street Journal and The International Herald Tribune. In the Manila of the 1980s, you could get these at specialty newsstands, so we would always have them lying around the house. 

I was a history geek.  I looked at art then more for its role in documenting history rather than as something I could appreciate on its own.  I was particularly drawn to portraits and would seek these out when we traveled and visited museums. 

I suppose that would have been the extent of my exposure, pretty straightforward. But I think you could surmise that my love for art came initially from a love for history.

CNTRFLD. You’ve mentioned that seeing Alfredo Esquillo’s work at the Whitney Museum was a turning point. What was it about that moment that shifted your relationship with Philippine art?

TL. I remember stopping dead in my tracks when I saw Alfredo Esquillo Jr.’s Mamackinley at the Whitney Museum, at an exhibition called The American Effect. Strange, powerful, disturbing, he painted it in tones of sepia, like an old photograph picked up at a junkshop. From afar, it seemed like a portrait of a woman wearing a bonnet and cape of the American Civil War era, holding a baby in her arms. Upon closer inspection, you notice the masculine, stern aspect of the sitter's visage, and the baby's Asian features. What completes this ominous snapshot is when you catch a glimpse of the sitter's limbs. Initially unnoticed, you realize that instead of loving arms embracing an infant, wrinkled claws, unsheathed dark talons, grip the baby tight. It gives a commentary on how the American Eagle, President William Mckinley, had duped the hapless Filipino president, Emilio Aguinaldo, into trapping the Philippines under American control. 

The thing is, at that moment, I had no idea who Alfredo Esquillo Jr. was, no idea that Manila had a contemporary art scene.  I quickly remedied that upon returning home, determined to explore the local art scene more deeply.  Shortly after, I co-founded Art in the Park. I was hooked on art for life.

CNTRFLD. From blogging as Manila Art Blogger to co-founding two of the country’s most beloved art events — Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines — how did those early years shape your approach to community-building?

TL. Essentially, I’m an arts events organizer. And yes, your question made me appreciate that after all these years, we have actually built a community. And that feels good. Those early years were driven by a passion that extends to today. Assuming the persona of Manila Art Blogger, conceptualizing first, Art in the Park and then, Art Fair Philippines, all came from a desire to share my love for art, to do something for artists and the people who share this same love. One can’t fake that. It is lodged in a deep-seated belief in the power of art to illuminate and transform.  I would like to believe that the reason for the success of all three endeavors is that the audience recognizes this sincerity, that these intentions are genuine, very palpable in the effort made to go and do the gallery hops as Manila Art Blogger and in putting together both art fairs year in and year out.

As a team, we are very hands-on in our approach to the programming of both Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines.  We don’t include anything there that we are not prepared to stand behind completely, from the choice of artists for the curated sections to where the cafe is situated for that particular year. 

CNTRFLD. You’ve said Art in the Park is your favourite day of the year. What do you think makes that format so special — and why do you think it resonates so strongly with such a broad audience?

TL. They say first love never dies. Art in the Park started it all for me. From the get-go, I felt I belonged, that this would constitute my life’s work, that I found my tribe.  It may help that by the time Art in the Park comes along in March of every year, that year’s art fair has just concluded.  I am more relaxed, and I am there to enjoy the discovery of art. This sums up what the event is essentially about.   These days, almost 20 years on, artists who make work for Art in Park have grown up with Art in Park.  They perhaps used to visit as art students, wishing for galleries to include them in their line-ups.  Several artists have intimated that showing first at Art in the Park convinced them to take on art as their professions.

This goes for collectors too.  The nature of the event, galleries taking over tents scattered around a city park without worrying about how the pieces are curated, serves as the most unintimidating art event of the year.  The quality of the art can be a mixed bag.  And one must be prepared for a treasure hunt. Don’t expect standout pieces to grab you at first glance.  Almost every year, I discover a new artist.  This means I have someone new to keep an eye on without breaking the bank.

CNTRFLD. One of the core values of Art Fair Philippines is accessibility — making art less intimidating and more welcoming. What does “access” mean to you today, and how has that evolved over the years?

TL. From the very start, our mission for Art Fair Philippines has been to widen the audience for the visual arts.  Initially, this meant Philippine contemporary art.  Over the years, as the exposure of our audience has grown, we have presented various forms of the visual arts, including photography, film, digital art, and performance art, and not just from the Philippines  So access to art encompasses not just giving our audience the opportunity to see art at a major event once a year, but also the chance to deepen their experience to view all its varied forms.  Access should include access to an educational component – the fair’s Talks program is carefully crafted to reflect discussions on the art that is on show, as well as issues of interest to the art market and topics relevant to the creative community.

CNTRFLD. Your work has consistently balanced support for emerging artists with platforming established names. What’s your process like when discovering or deciding to champion new voices?

TL. For me personally, I look at the existing body of work, first and foremost.  It's nothing more complicated than that.  When you see an artist with a distinct point of view, or working with interesting material, pushing boundaries, displaying a certain level of skill and fearlessness, and resonating with something inside you, then you know this is an emerging artist that bears watching.  It really is the same process when deciding which artist to collect.

In terms of deciding to feature an established artist in the Projects section of Art Fair Philippines, well we look at one’s art practice and its importance and contribution to the art landscape.  These artists have achieved a certain level of commercial success and critical recognition.  We have a long wish list.  But never enough space. 

CNTRFLD. You’ve always had an eye for style — from fashion to collecting sculptural, expressive artworks. How do you see the connection between personal style and the art you live with or support?

TL. Thank you for saying that. I’ve never thought of it that way, that my personal style had anything to do with the art I collect.  I’ve always sought to collect art of my time. Why? Because I really started buying shortly before Art in the Park was founded in 2006.  So, I guess my collection reflects the art of this era. I am drawn to art produced in the present — the now. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with my personal style. It has been more about an affinity with work that feels urgent and relevant, and frankly, fits my budget.

My collecting journey began with artists considered ultra-contemporary Filipino names 15 years ago, the new guard then. Artists like Rodel Tapaya, Ronald Ventura, Kawayan de Guia, Louie Cordero, Geraldine Javier… back then, they were the emerging names. Today, of course, they’re in their mid-careers and widely respected artists.

Another way to describe what my (very modest) art collection is like might be this: it has a kind of Ateneo Art Awards vibe — that is, it aligns closely with the spirit and trajectory of artists recognized by those awards.  If an auction house came into my home expecting to find high yield, “auction-able” works, they might be sorely disappointed. Many of the names in my collection aren’t necessarily the ones that make headlines in the secondary market.

I buy art that resonates deeply with me:  works on fabric, ceramics, pieces that are tactile, raw, expressive. Art that doesn’t shy away from confronting social realities. They’re not always “pretty,” and that’s okay. I’m fine living with art that’s challenging, even confrontational — because that’s what makes these works compelling.

CNTRFLD. The art world has changed rapidly — especially post-pandemic — with digital platforms, hybrid events, and shifting conversations around identity and representation. What excites you about the current moment in Philippine contemporary art?

TL. We are having a moment.

I’ve said this in several interviews leading up to this year’s art fair: our global superstar Pacita Abad, had major touring museum exhibitions in 2024, from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis to MOMA PS1, to the Art Gallery of Ontario. Another Filipino artist, David Medalla, had a retrospective at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. And of course, another Filipino artist, Pio Abad, exhibited at Tate Britain as one of the shortlisted artists for the Turner Prize.  This year, we will see Fernando Zobel’s acclaimed Prado exhibition traveling and remounted at the National Gallery of Singapore. 

We’ve not been behind in recognizing women artists too.  Anita Magsaysay Ho, Nena Saguil, Maria Taniguchi all took part in the curated section of last year’s Venice Biennale.  So, what excites me? It would be that the eyes of the art world are turning to our part of the globe. And when they look our way, they discover that Filipino artists are doing an extraordinary range of work, and this has been the case for a few decades now.

There are also thriving art centers outside of Metro Manila — notably Baguio in the north and Bacolod in the south. Both scenes are incredibly active and distinct, supported by senior artists who mentor the younger generation. These regional communities are producing fantastic work across mediums.  We have a thriving digital art and photography community who mount events and exhibits, even without commercial validation.

And then we have young performance artists like Eisa Jocson and Joshua Serafin who are presenting globally, under the auspices of respected institutions and curators.  Artists like Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan — who recently opened the Ames Yavuz Gallery space in London — have a practice that spans continents. They are widely recognized by institutions and respected in both critical and commercial contexts.

So yes — what’s exciting? I don’t want to say everything.  Maybe, a lot of things. The breadth and depth of the work being done in the Philippines right now is extraordinary.

CNTRFLD. With your deep engagement in the local scene, what’s something about Filipino artists or the art ecosystem that you wish more people internationally understood?

TL. Well, how robust and vibrant the Philippine art scene is — and how it has been that way for at least the last 15 years. Because our local scene is so strong, both artists and galleries haven’t always felt the urgency to break into the international art world. They experience a solid base of local support — from collectors, from audiences, from institutions. So, they’ve gotten comfortable, and maybe that has made them insular.  With the rise of Art Fair Philippines, we arguably helped contribute to the development of a complete and thriving art ecosystem.

We have highly respected and very committed artists who are deeply in tune with global conversations and concerns.  And this has been true since the 1970s and 1980s. Artists like Roberto Chabet and Ray Albano, for instance. It has been only in more recent years that broader appreciation for their work has caught up. So, it took real courage — and deep passion — for them to keep going in the absence of external validation.

It’s also important to highlight that we’ve always had incredibly strong women artists. While many are only now receiving international recognition, they’ve been steadily and powerfully creating for decades. I mentioned Nena Saguil previously.  But you also have Imelda Cajipe Endaya and Brenda Fajardo as examples.

A lot of Filipino art is rooted in place — in lived experience, in the conditions of the country, in regional traditions.  We’ve seen powerful waves of social realist work, particularly during times of political instability or upheaval. And there’s tremendous strength in the regional scenes, as mentioned previously. These communities are artistically rich, with their own histories, mentors, and lineages.

I’m glad that we seem to be in the art scene’s radar.   There’s excellent work being made in the Philippines. We have a thoughtful, engaged collector base. We have vitality, experimentation, urgency. There’s so much to discover.

CNTRFLD. Lastly, what advice would you give to someone — especially Filipinos — who’s curious about engaging with art, either as a creative or a supporter, but doesn’t know where to start?

TL. Oh, that’s easy. Make sure you come to Art in the Park or Art Fair Philippines, both events offer great starting points. From there, follow the visits up with regular art hops. Go see what’s being shown in commercial galleries and make time for the museums — especially the university museums. You’ll learn so much from these visits. Auction previews also offer another underrated way to get educated about Philippine art history The major auction houses often show incredible works by the so-called masters — the modernists — and these pieces are usually of impeccable quality and provenance. Once they’re sold, chances are you won’t see them again. So, take advantage of those windows.

In the end, you want to educate your eye. Go see art again and again. Read about art.  Be curious. Engage. If you have the passion and the determination, you will learn quickly.

With thanks to Steven Abraham and The Here and There Collective (THAT Co.) for facilitating this conversation.