Following the opening of Peter Zimmermann: Painting Rules the week prior, Material Instincts formally opened on 10 February 2026 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. Conceived as a complementary exhibition, Material Instincts expands the conversation on contemporary painting through a focused exploration of materiality and process.
Curated by Bambina Olivares, the exhibition brings together the works of Olivia d’Aboville, Marionne Contreras, Monica Delgado, and Michelle Pérez. United by their distinct approaches to abstraction, the four Filipino artists examine the meaning and possibilities of painting through their deft manipulation of chosen media.
Textile becomes a field of experimentation in Olivia d’Aboville’s practice, while Marionne Contreras explores the tactile potential of yarn and felt. Monica Delgado and Michelle Pérez, working primarily with paint, push the medium beyond the pictorial plane. Across the exhibition, materials are sliced, shaped, stretched, layered, woven, tufted, pleated, and folded—foregrounding their inherent plasticity and three-dimensionality. In this fresh take on post-painterly abstraction, the medium itself dictates the form and language of the artwork.
In attendance were Sen. Mar Roxas, Veana Fores, Bledes Fores, Oye Fores, Cultural Attaché Spanish Embassy Alvaro Garcia, Lizzie Zobel, Libet Virata, Jaime Ponce de Leon, Mark Wilson, Cara Wilson, Inigo Elizalde, Marilen Elizalde, Santi Elizalde, Ana Delgado, Marco Santos, Zelda Kienle, Manny Samson, David Guerrero, Angel Guerrero, Robert Magsaysay Ho, Yuan 3 Yanna Ongpin, Apa Ongpin, Pam Lopez, Tina Cuevas, Derek Flores, and Trickie Lopa.
Material Instincts will be on view through 30 April 2026 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
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Following the opening of Peter Zimmermann: Painting Rules the week prior, Material Instincts formally opened on 10 February 2026 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. Conceived as a complementary exhibition, Material Instincts expands the conversation on contemporary painting through a focused exploration of materiality and process.
Curated by Bambina Olivares, the exhibition brings together the works of Olivia d’Aboville, Marionne Contreras, Monica Delgado, and Michelle Pérez. United by their distinct approaches to abstraction, the four Filipino artists examine the meaning and possibilities of painting through their deft manipulation of chosen media.
Textile becomes a field of experimentation in Olivia d’Aboville’s practice, while Marionne Contreras explores the tactile potential of yarn and felt. Monica Delgado and Michelle Pérez, working primarily with paint, push the medium beyond the pictorial plane. Across the exhibition, materials are sliced, shaped, stretched, layered, woven, tufted, pleated, and folded—foregrounding their inherent plasticity and three-dimensionality. In this fresh take on post-painterly abstraction, the medium itself dictates the form and language of the artwork.
In attendance were Sen. Mar Roxas, Veana Fores, Bledes Fores, Oye Fores, Cultural Attaché Spanish Embassy Alvaro Garcia, Lizzie Zobel, Libet Virata, Jaime Ponce de Leon, Mark Wilson, Cara Wilson, Inigo Elizalde, Marilen Elizalde, Santi Elizalde, Ana Delgado, Marco Santos, Zelda Kienle, Manny Samson, David Guerrero, Angel Guerrero, Robert Magsaysay Ho, Yuan 3 Yanna Ongpin, Apa Ongpin, Pam Lopez, Tina Cuevas, Derek Flores, and Trickie Lopa.
Material Instincts will be on view through 30 April 2026 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
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