Chasing Dreams 21 Print

From Quezon City, Philippines. MVM (he has been nomadic since 2011) is a visual artist who does digital art through photo-manipulation and digital paintings, he also does art installations and recently, acrylic paintings. The work that he does implies themes of identity, memory, and the human condition. His digital artworks often feature surreal and dreamlike imagery that combines elements of humanity, nature and technology. In most of his work, the subjects are represented through a mix of imagined and realistic scenic images that tries to create a sense of intrigue and curiosity in the viewer, as they are left to wonder about the subject's story and in some cases what they might be looking at. Manalo's artworks also explore the relationship between humans and their environment, often showing figures in various states of vulnerability or isolation within a larger context. His work invites the viewer to reflect on their own experiences and perceptions of the world, while also exploring the interconnectedness of humans and their environment. In the past he has exhibited in several countries - Australia, England, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, Taiwan, UK and USA. He has also won a few prizes like the 2010 1st prize in the Digital Art Category at the Art Museum of Chianciano Terme, Italy and 2011 Best Photography Illustration from The Redmond Digital Arts Festival in Washington, USA, 2015 2nd place in the Secret Art Prize from the Curious Duke Gallery in London and Nominated for the APBF Signature Art Prize of 2014 from the Singapore Art Museum. He was also named as one of 2014 and 2017 Asia's Top Ten Most Inspiring Visual Artists in Asia by the Top 10 Publications in Malaysia. He was also a 2020 Arte Laguna Prize Finalist and recently he has worked with GIANT to create bicycles that are based on the stories and life experiences using bicycles of people that work in the cycling company GIANT. In 2021, he designed a bicycle which symbolizes Taichung city and was put on display for the opening of the Taichung Chill. In 2022, he built an audio/visual art installation space which amplifies the ambient sounds of the area in Xiangshan Wetlands.