"I’m here eating but what am I thinking?" Painting

MVM (who has lived a nomadic life since 2011) is a visual artist from Quezon City, Philippines. His creative practice spans digital art (including photo manipulation and digital painting), installations, and more recently, acrylic painting. His works often revolve around themes of identity, memory, and the human condition. His digital art frequently features surreal and dreamlike imagery, blending elements of humanity, nature, and technology.

In many of his works, figures appear within scenes where reality and fantasy intertwine, evoking an atmosphere of mystery and curiosity. This invites viewers to explore the stories of the characters and to contemplate what it is they are gazing at. Manalo’s practice also explores the relationship between humans and their environments, often portraying figures in states of isolation or vulnerability, situated within larger spatial or temporal contexts. His works invite audiences to reflect on their own experiences and perceptions of the world, while also exploring the deeper connections between people and their surroundings.

He has exhibited in numerous countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, the Philippines, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the United States. Manalo has received several art awards, including:
2010 – First Prize in Digital Art at the Art Museum of Chianciano Terme, Italy
2011 – Best Photographic Illustration Award at the Redmond Digital Arts Festival, Washington, USA
2015 – Second Place in the Secret Art Prize organized by Curious Duke Gallery, UK
2014 – Nominated by the Singapore Art Museum for the APBF Signature Art Prize
2014 & 2017 – Named one of the “Top 10 Most Inspiring Visual Artists in Asia” by Malaysia’s Top 10 Publications
2020 – Finalist at the Arte Laguna Prize, Italy

In recent years, he collaborated with GIANT, transforming employees’ cycling experiences and life stories into artistic bicycle creations. In 2021, he designed a bicycle symbolizing Taichung City, showcased at the opening of the Taichung Chill event.

In 2022, he created a sound/visual installation at Xiangshan Wetlands that allowed audiences to listen to the local environmental soundscape. That year, he also participated in multiple exhibitions, including the Arte Laguna Prize (Italy), Focus Art Fair at the Louvre in Paris, the Xiangshan Wetlands Art Festival, the Kaohsiung Light Festival, and other exhibitions across Taiwan.