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As part of its cultural diplomacy program, the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, in partnership with the Kapatiran at Ugnayan ng Natatanging Sining at Talentong Pilipino (KUNST), organized back-to-back art workshops in South Africa.
The first workshop, which was held on 27 April 2025 at the Philippine Embassy multifunction hall, was attended by members of the Filipino community in South Africa, as well as personnel, dependents, and friends of the Embassy.
The second workshop was organized on 29 April 2025 at the Javett Art Centre (JAC) for art enthusiasts from the University of Pretoria and selected South African youth.
The workshops were facilitated by visiting artists from the Philippines, namely, Aris Bagtas, Jr., Remo Valenton, Loriel Castillo, and Ariosto Dale Bagtas, using oil pastel and felt paper. Participants were keen to learn various drawing and coloring techniques since it was their first time to use this medium.
The workshops also enabled the Filipino artists to introduce to the South African participants the concept of Filipinism, whose guiding philosophy is to allow Filipino visual artists to infuse the essence of being a Filipino into their artworks.
The Filipino artists are in South Africa for the Viaje 5 Filipinism: What Makes Art Filipino exhibition, which ran from 23 to 30 April 2025 at the JAC, a prestigious art gallery in Pretoria. This is the first exhibition from Filipino artists mounted by the gallery since its establishment in 2017.
The Embassy will continue to tap into the potent power of cultural diplomacy to deepen the friendship between the Filipino and South African people, as well as build a positive brand for the Philippines in the host country.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.