The Design Center of the Philippines is the main agency dedicated to creative culture and the development of values and innovation. The Design Center’s DNA is intimately based on the principle of the artisan-creator, testifying that the Philippines is a major territory of artisans and creators, whose spirit, hands and heart give birth to new concepts, objects, images, experiences and models. The eight artists of Banquet Philippines personify this philosophy of work and life, based on the resources offered by the nature of its islands.
The Banquet of the Philippines celebrates the deep-rooted connection between nature, craft, and talent that emboldens the Filipino creative process. Weaving together the rhythms of nature’s design and the ancestral know-how of craft traditions, the showcase sparks a dynamic interplay between creator and creation. Local materials and techniques act as vessels for creative expressions that continue to shape and to redefine artisanship of the Philippines.
This exhibition marries the organic with the crafted, forging a visceral connection between nature and human ingenuity. From the meticulous steel and shell sculptures that bring motion to rigid materials, to the organic panoramas of the country’s flora and fauna woven from abaca, raffia, piña silk, and cogon grass, each object breathes the spirit of the land and seas of the Philippines, and captures an intimate dialogue between material and maker. Through these works, creators and artisans give rise to fluid expressions of tradition, movement, and innovation.
In this liminal space where nature, memory, and vision converge, the Banquet of the Philippines challenges conventional understanding of craft, sparking curiosity about new trajectories and inviting viewers to explore craft beyond expression, but as a tool for reinterpreting and expanding traditions in contemporary contexts.
The Design Center of the Philippines is the country’s premier agency dedicated to cultivating a culture that thrives on creativity, value creation, and innovation. The Design Center’s DNA is based on the spirit of the artisan-designer, recognizing that the Philippines is a nation of makers, crafters, and creators, who use their minds, hands, and hearts to create new ideas, objects, images, experiences, and systems. The Banquet of the Philippines reflects this enduring ethos as well as Design Center’s continuing commitment to inspiring, nurturing, and celebrating the next generation of artisan-designers.
