Interview The Kanto team
Images MADE 2025
“We believe that the growth of Filipino artists contributes to building a more vibrant and cohesive nation. Through MADE, we are committed to cultivating boundless spaces for expression, innovation, and lifelong learning so that our artists can continue to shape not just the country’s cultural legacy but also inspire new ways of thinking,” opens Metrobank Foundation president Phillip Dy.
Building on this vision, the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) 2025 Awards celebrate a new generation of Filipino artists who dare to explore, innovate, and redefine the boundaries of contemporary art. With the theme “Boundless Art,” this edition not only honors exceptional talent but also reintroduces the Mixed Media category—a nod to the pioneering spirit of the 1984 to 1987 editions.
Led by Toym Leon Imao, a multi-awarded artist and former MADE awardee, the distinguished jury reunited fellow former MADE awardees and contemporary art masters Leeroy New and Raffy Napay. The panel also included contemporary art market luminaries Frederick Flores and Geraldine Araneta, sculptor Reginald Yuson, and renowned curator Tessa Maria Guazon.
The winning pieces will be showcased in the exhibition titled Vast Horizons, the 41st edition of MADE’s tribute to the limitless potential of art. Running from September 19 to October 18 at The M’s North and South Galleries in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, the exhibit invites the public to see the program’s forward-looking evolution in the local art landscape.
Kanto conducted a series of interviews with this year’s seven awardees, inviting them to reflect on their creative journeys, personal philosophies, and the stories behind their winning works. We end our series of MADE Conversations with an interview with the awards’ organizers, delving into what changed this year and what audiences can expect from the next edition.
This MADE edition comes right after last year’s milestone 40th-year celebration. How did that “soft pause” shape the organization of this edition, and did it affect the type or number of entries you received?
2024, or MADE’s 40th anniversary, was a milestone achievement for the Metrobank Foundation as it affirmed the arts’ enduring significance and power within Philippine society. An art competition can only remain relevant if there is existing support for, and positive public perception and acceptance of art. MADE reaching four decades is a testament to how art has evolved and become a pillar for nation-building in the Philippines.
The soft pause allowed MADE and Metrobank Foundation as a whole to reassess its position and strategically continue responding to the needs of the local artistic landscape. It led to the launch of the MADE Competition Portal, which provides digital accessibility to young artists; the partnership Eskinita Art Residency Program, which empowers creatives by offering community and opportunities for development; and lastly, the Featured Medium Category, which has allowed MADE to reach a new and dynamic generation of creatives. These innovations have opened new doors for MADE, enabling us to recognize and accommodate contemporary artworks by emerging artists. By expanding our Competition to include Mixed Media, this has also encouraged more creatives to produce excellent works for the Competition, and what we believe is part of why we reached a grand total of 670 entries from all 17 regions of the country in 2025.
Looking at this year’s joiners, what observations surprised you? Were there recurring social or personal themes that surfaced more strongly than others?
Art, since time immemorial, has always been a mirror for both the artists’ personal history and social perceptions. MADE simply provides another avenue for artistic pursuit, on a national level.
This year, each winning artwork is imbued with the sentiments of the artist who created them and colored by their life journeys. Each artwork, as well, is a demonstration of self-awareness, as the awardees have shared how their pieces are not only paintings, sculptures or mixed media works, but are a heartfelt part of their stories as both artists and people. This has always been and always will be the strength of creative minds.
In terms of material and medium, what stood out to the jury? With digital tools becoming more common in the arts, how are artists balancing traditional practices with newer modes of artmaking?
Every year, the judging process of the MADE Competition is done anonymously, which allows them to focus solely on the merits of the artwork. In 2025, our Board of Judges was not only looking for new materials or mediums; they were also evaluating the entrants’ mastery of technique. They scrutinized how effective the artists were in using their artistic process to achieve their aesthetic and narrative objectives, especially in terms of audience or viewer impact. There was also an assessment of the artists’ understanding of their practice from how the works were created and refined.
Regarding the incorporation of virtual techniques into creative practice, while the MADE Competition has not yet widened its net to encompass digital art, we do recognize its place in artmaking. As part of the Competition requirements, entrants are asked to submit sketches or progress photos as proof of authenticity of the work, together with any reference images. Some artists have opted to create their studies or drafts digitally and send us soft copies of their sketches. Other artists experiment with photography and use cameras to document scenes, which they later recreate on a canvas.
This year’s winners delivered sharp, incisive messages that didn’t tiptoe around sensitive or difficult subjects. The selection reflects not only the jury but also MADE and the participants themselves. What do the messaging and selection reveal about the current state of Philippine art?
The foundation acknowledges the unique and profound perspectives of artists, and their capacity to turn these ideas into masterful creations. They see details that other people don’t usually notice, and this is one of the reasons behind their talent and skill.
Philippine art has always been a manifestation of our creatives’ inner voices, lived experiences, and hopes and dreams for the future. Instead of words, they use paint, clay and thread to actualize their vision. From the selection this year, it’s apparent that all the awardees have discovered themselves in their practice, and in that self-discovery, have let their artistry turn outwards to strive towards a better life and society for all.
Beyond the artists and jury, MADE is also for the Filipino public. How do you see the public’s role in shaping the event’s energy and in sustaining its relevance?
We endeavor to generate interest and appreciation for art by developing critical audiences through our yearly exhibitions and public programs. Going back to what we said about public support and perception, there is a need to engage with different communities as there are endless ways in which they can benefit from exposure to art and creativity.
Artists become successful because of the response they can evoke from the people. MADE’s legacy has been shaped by our collaborations with partners and initiatives to bring our program closer to the public. Every year, through our various partnerships and with the support of The M, tours are conducted for free to cater to both interest groups and the public. Through MADE, we can move towards a future where everyone can celebrate, enjoy, and learn from Philippine artistry.
Another cycle closes for the MADE 2025. How has this “fresh start” in your fourth decade unfolded, and should audiences expect significant changes in the next edition?
This 2025 has strengthened MADE’s mission to help artists achieve sustainable artistic career development. The youth are always dreaming of new ways to create art to tell their story, and Metrobank Foundation is truly honored to have been able to provide a pathway for them to express themselves and find a livelihood with their one-of-a-kind skillset.
We are constantly growing alongside our artists, and we aim to focus on programming that leads to the highest impact for our beneficiaries.
Please continue to join us on this artistic journey! •
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