This year’s edition of LAKBAY, presented by Art House, once again sparks compelling conversations on the Filipino diasporic experience through the works of various creatives, with a spotlight on assemblage artist Christina “Ling” Quisumbing.
Now in its second edition, the LAKBAY series by multichannel creative platform Art House celebrates the creative journey of renowned assemblage artist Christina “Ling” Quisumbing Ramilo in itsThrough Visual Poetries exhibition. Like its previous iteration, which showcased pieces by abstract art pioneer Nena Saguil, this year’s program will also feature the works of other global Filipino artists, each of whom will respond to Ling’s works through their own practices. With this new set of talents, LAKBAY 2026 continues to uphold the ethos of its program through fostering cultural exchange, dialogue, and community engagement.
The nine participating artists are ALLDEFS (United Arab Emirates), Katrina Bello (United States), Kim Cruz (United States), Joseph Gabriel (United Kingdom), Rasco Jugarap (Belgium), Kulay Labitingan (United Kingdom), Angela Silva (United States), and Pinky Ibarra Urmaza (United States).
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About LAKBAY
“The vision for LAKBAY has always been to create a space for our Filipino artists living in the diaspora, fostering cultural exchange and engaging new localities,” shares Art House Founder Carlo Pineda in a statement. “Through the collaborations happening within our platform and within this program, we are also able to highlight the fact that the Philippines’ got talent. We have always wanted to emphasize this even during the first LAKBAY series. It will always go back to this one clear message: the Philippine’s has got talent.”
In bringing Filipino artists from around the globe back to the motherland, Art House underscores the importance of providing holistic, 360-degree support to fully realize the vision of LAKBAY. Since the series launched in 2025, the platform has extended the necessary subsidies for transportation and logistics to participating global Filipino artists. As its program continues to evolve and expand, Art House shares the same vision with its venue partner, Discovery Primea. Pineda adds: “Discovery Primea is also the ideal home for artists, art patrons and enthusiasts, especially during National Art Month with its central location in the Makati CBD and world class hospitality.”
The Visual Poetries Of Christina “Ling” Quisumbing
Through Visual Poetries surveys the breadth of Christina “Ling” Quisumbing’s artistic practice, shaped by her diasporic life in New York and later in Manila. Curated by Marika Constantino, the exhibition highlights Ling’s wide-ranging body of work.
“The collection will include works from New York to Manila, from various decades. Some have already been exhibited, others in storage for several years now,” the artist shares.
Ling’s signature use of discarded and repurposed materials resonated strongly with Art House. “Materiality was the binding element that made her the ideal headliner for this year’s LAKBAY,” Pineda explains. “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 curating the exhibition, Constantino aimed to surface the layered realities of diasporic life. This vision informed the selection of global Filipino artists from varied backgrounds, generations, and locations, creating a nuanced artistic exchange.
“They bring with them unique perspectives,” Constantino shares. “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.”
She adds: “There are a multitude of reasons as to why Filipinos find homes in different parts of the world. It’s never a one-size-fits-all kind of categorization. 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.”
LAKBAY 2026 Schedule Of Activities
On top of the exhibition, this year’s LAKBAY also marks the launch of a themed menu, and will include workshops and talks in its program, the schedules of which you may find below.
January 29, 5 PM: Vernissage and launch of the first LAKBAY-inspired menu
January 30, 3 PM to 5 PM: Self Decoding Workshop with Kulay Labitingan
January 31: Kim Cruz Workshop with Kids (10 AM to 12 PM); Artist Talk with Christina “Ling” Quisumbing And Roundtable Discussion (3 PM to 6 PM)
February 1, 1 PM to 5 PM: Printing Demo with Angela Silva
Catch “LAKBAY 2026: Through Visual Poetries with Christina Quisumbing” at the Mezzanine of Discovery Primea from January 30 to February 1, 2026.
Photos courtesy of Art House and Before Deadlines
