Street Art in the Philippines: Filipino Artists and Murals

From Gerilya’s portraits beneath Manila’s Nagtahan Bridge to Venazir Martinez’s red-thread figures, street art in the Philippines gives public space a language of its own. History, indigenous identity, agricultural labour and everyday urban life run through the works gathered here.

First published in 2021, this selection brings together Gerilya, Venazir Martinez, Archie Oclos, Aleili Ariola and Kris Abrigo. It records particular works and approaches rather than a complete survey of the country.

Philippine murals: history, identity and public space

Building facades, walkways and underpasses give artists an audience beyond the gallery. In the works below, those settings become places to revisit historical figures, represent indigenous communities and recognise the people whose labour sustains daily life.

There is no single visual style connecting all these artists. Figurative painting sits alongside mythology and geometric abstraction. What connects them is the use of accessible public surfaces to bring their subjects into the city.

Gerilya: history and mythology on Manila’s walls

Gerilya’s Pundasyon mural depicting Rajah Sulayman on a Nagtahan Bridge column — “Pundasyon (Ang Supremo at ang Rajah)” by Gerilya, depicting Rajah Sulayman, the pre-Hispanic ruler of Manila.

“Pundasyon,” meaning “Foundation,” was painted on the 20-metre-high underpass columns at Nagtahan Bridge in Metro Manila as part of the Urban Artscape Project. Ten columns carried Filipino narratives featuring revolutionary heroes and historical leaders. The scale makes the portraits part of the infrastructure itself.

Ang Bakunawa at Minokawa mural by Gerilya, with creatures from Filipino mythology — “Ang Bakunawa at Minokawa” by Gerilya draws on Filipino mythology.

Formed in 2008 by Jano, Kube and Zap, Gerilya works across comics, street art, graffiti, animation, illustration and exhibitions. Philippine popular and mass culture informs the collective’s imagery. In “Ang Bakunawa at Minokawa,” eagle- and dragon-like creatures replace the historical portrait, bringing a different kind of collective memory onto the wall.

Venazir Martinez: Hila-bana and Cordilleran identity

Figures connected by a red thread in Hila-bana by Venazir Martinez — “Hila-bana” by Venazir Martinez.

“Hila-bana,” or temporary stitching, uses a red string to connect figures representing indigenous identities of the Cordilleras, the mountain region of northern Luzon. The thread gives the separate figures a shared visual rhythm.

Martinez brings representations of indigenous people and customs into conversation with contemporary life. Realistic figures meet vivid layers of colour and abstraction, allowing individual identities to remain visible within the wider composition.

Archie Oclos and Aleili Ariola: recognising agricultural labour

Magsasaka mural by Archie Oclos and Aleili Ariola celebrating Filipino farmers — “Magsasaka” by Archie Oclos and Aleili Ariola celebrates the work of Filipino farmers.

With “Magsasaka,” Archie Oclos and Aleili Ariola turn attention to the Filipino farmer. Alongside the historical and mythological subjects in this selection, the mural gives agricultural work a place in the public image of the country.

Kris Abrigo: geometry and colour

Manpower by Kris Abrigo, a mural using colourful geometric forms — “Manpower” by Kris Abrigo.

Kris Abrigo approaches the wall through geometric forms and a palette that moves between pastel and bright colour. His murals for commercial and residential spaces bring the precision of his canvas work to a different scale. The shapes offer an inviting point of entry, particularly for younger viewers encountering art outside a gallery.