The National Artist’s centennial exhibit brings Slice of Life, original works, and memorabilia to the Metropolitan Theater, marking a century since Larry Alcala’s birth.
Look closely at a Larry Alcala Slice of Life illustration and, amid the crowds of people going about their day, you might find another familiar face: Alcala himself. The National Artist for Visual Arts was known for hiding a small caricature of himself within his densely populated scenes, giving readers another reason to pore over the details. Long before Where’s Waldo? popularized a similar search, Alcala was inviting Filipinos to look closely at the world he drew and, in many ways, at themselves.
To mark a century since his birth, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) presents Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination, a new Larry Alcala exhibit celebrating the National Artist’s centennial. Co-organized with the Larry Alcala Estate, National Commission for CultureCultureshared traditions, beliefs, values, customs, arts, and social practices that define the identity and way of life of a community, society, or nation.Go to Culture Glossary and the Arts (NCCA), Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. (FHFI), and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the exhibition runs from August 19 to September 19 at Gallery 2 of the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
It brings together reproductions from Alcala’s celebrated Slice of Life series, original works, memorabilia, and pieces by members of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas. Curated by Dr. Jose Santos “Chong” Ardivilla, the exhibition considers Alcala’s cartoons as part of Philippine popular visual cultureCultureshared traditions, beliefs, values, customs, arts, and social practices that define the identity and way of life of a community, society, or nation.Go to Culture Glossary and looks at a legacy that continues through Filipino cartoonists today.
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Inside The Larry Alcala Exhibit Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination
Alcala found plenty to draw in the everyday. Markets, shops, streets, family gatherings, floods, Sunday mornings, and even the familiar crowds of Baclaran became subjects of Slice of Life. His illustrations observed how Filipinos dressed, behaved, gathered, and moved through shared spaces, finding humor in the small interactions happening within these scenes.
It was this ability to turn the ordinary into something worth looking at that helped make Mang Larry a household name. Beyond Slice of Life, he created comic strips including Kalabog en Bosyo, Siopawman, and Mang Ambo, while his influence extended into teaching, as well as generations of Filipino illustrators and cartoonists. His centennial celebration carries that practice forward. From August through November, a series of five free workshops will introduce participants to different aspects of cartooning, from character design and comic strips to movement and visual storytelling.
100 years after Alcala’s birth, the invitation behind his work remains remarkably simple: look around. There’s plenty to see in everyday Filipino life and plenty worth drawing.
Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination runs from August 19 to September 19, 2026, at Gallery 2 of the Metropolitan Theater, Padre Burgos Ave. cor. Antonio Villegas Street, Ermita, Manila. For more information, visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.
Frequently Asked Questions
Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination celebrates 100 years since National Artist Lauro “Larry” Alcala’s birth. The exhibit explores how his cartoons captured everyday Filipino life through humor, observation, and social commentary.
The Larry Alcala exhibit runs from August 19 to September 19, 2026, at Gallery 2 of the Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
Visitors can see reproductions of Alcala’s Slice of Life illustrations, original works, memorabilia, and works by members of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas.
Larry Alcala was a National Artist and Filipino cartoonist known for works including Slice of Life, Kalabog en Bosyo, Siopawman, and Mang Ambo. His cartoons documented Filipino people, habits, and everyday experiences with humor and social observation.
Yes. Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination is free to the public. The centennial celebration also includes a series of free cartooning workshops running from August to November 2026.
