Article by Sabrina Basilio
With today’s art emerging in newer forms and media, we simply cannot run out of young Filipino artists to watch out for! Some of our featured artists have made their names known in creative industries abroad, while others have only recently launched themselves as new professionals fresh out of art schools and internship programs.
Whatever the case, one common thing can be said about them all: that is Filipino talent right there! Here are some of our current favorites:
8 Wallpaper-Worthy Filipino Illustrators You Have to Check Out Now
Pejie Abia (@itsmeanansi)
Email: itsmeanansi@gmail.com
Website: https://www.behance.net/pejieabia
Laguna native Pejie Abia has been a storyboard artist for several institutions, like Roadrunner Network Inc., Ripple Wave, and Pockets Fulla Pillz. He has also delved into music photography and the comic book industry. 
The series featured here, “Home Away from Home”, perfectly captures his fascination with architecture and anime. He also takes great inspiration from Satoshi Kon’s style of drawing emotions, especially with female characters.
Leonardo Santamaria (@leonardo.santamaria)
Email: leonardo.m.santamaria@gmail.com
Website: https://www.leonardosantamaria.com/
Tumblr: https://leonardosantamaria.tumblr.com/
When Leonardo Santamaria and his family moved to Southern California, he took a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Illustration degree with a Minor in Social Innovation at the Art Center College of Design. He eventually ended up working as an award-winning illlustrator in Los Angeles. He has since been part of at least 25 group exhibitions and has been awarded medals and scholarships for his work.
His pieces primarily make use of acrylic, gouache, graphite, and colored paper. At times, his work also gets digital retouches and finishing touches.
(RELATED: Filipina artists make themselves known in the industry with #VisibleWomen)
Dan Matutina (@twistedfork)
Email: pekka@agentpekka.com
Website: https://twistedfork.me/
Young Guns awardee and Plus63 Design co-founder Dan Matutina develops graphic design identities and systems for brands like Google, Pinterest, Airbnb, Samsung, WIRED Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
His angular texturized illustrations have also appeared in print, digital, and animation. He is represented by illustration agencies Agent Pekka, Vision Track and YCN.
Abigail Dela Cruz
Email: abi.delacruz72@gmail.com
Website: www.artstation.com/hyamei
Tumblr:https://abbydraws.tumblr.com
Abby dela Cruz is a Filipino-Chinese freelance illustrator who has been represented by an award-winning illustration agency called Lemonade.
Her whimsical Pascal Campion-like pieces have made it onto several zines, events like AsiaPOP Comicon, and a wide range of commissioned products like stickers, mugs, and T-shirts.
Trina Laya (@tumbke)
Email: trinalaya001@gmail.com
Website: https://trinalaya.carbonmade.com
Tumblr: https://portoftrina.tumblr.com
Trina Laya of Taguig is an AB Multimedia Arts graduate at Asia Pacific College. She has worked for a local animation industry, TeamAPP Inc. as an intern where she continued to train herself in artistic animation, graphic design, and scriptwriting.
Her works also explore themes of folklore and Visayan mythology.
Nica Galvez (@heypatatas)
Email: nica@nicagalvez.com
Website: https://www.artstation.com/nicagalvez
Nica Galvez is a young graphic designer and illustrator who recently graduated from the College of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Santo Tomas. Her work experience includes designing assets for motion graphics and illustrating storyboards for internship at STREAM Engine Studios, a digital media production company that specializes in animation. 
Her female empowerment pieces above represent what her work her is like best: fierce and beautiful.
Yas Doctor (@heypatatas)
Email: yas.doctor16@gmail.com
Website: https://yasdoctor.carbonmade.com
Yas Doctor’s works come to life with exquisite detail and generous rendering of color. Her media varies from acrylic paint to polymer clay to watercolor to oils.
Her illustrations expand from portraits of mysterious women to strange creatures in strange worlds all depicted in bright colors and patterns that resemble quirky children’s storybooks you’d want to keep at age 50.
Jap Mikel (@japmkl)
Email: japmikel@gmail.com
Tumblr: https://japmikel.tumblr.com
Jap Mikel is a freelance illustrator and designer who has been published in both local books and magazine editorials. He is a part of the Doorkeeper comic book anthology and has collaborated for several illustrated novels like BGMBYN (Bagumbayan) and 101 Kagila-gilalas na Nilalang.
His works can be described as Philippine myth and folklore interweaved with pop culture.
Of course, there are still lots more of budding Filipino graphic artists and designers slowly paving their paths out in the industry; and we wish we could feature all of these incredible talents. But with the coincident rise in demand for creative professionals and new technology, we can expect a steady proliferation of avenues and institutions that can accommodate more Filipino artists and support the development of our truly brilliant Filipino visual arts.
It looks like we won’t be running out of Filipino artists to add to our Pinterest boards and IG #feedgoals in a long time!
