Growing up in the Philippines in the 60s, conservatism was simply a fact of life. You didn’t make noise; you didn’t stand out — that was just the culture. And yet, the spirit of Woodstock was making its way across the Western hemisphere during that era, and that kind of radical counterculture — so far removed from everything around her — was exactly what captivated a young Patricia Collantes. Decades later, it never quite let her go.
Overexposed is a collection that exhibits just that: Patricia’s quietly daring and observant nature. With over 50 paintings that she’s been working on since 2016, Patricia is finally letting them be overexposed in her second and biggest solo show to date. Alongside the unexpected — nuns with weapons, people in bathrooms, women undressed, scenes that wouldn’t sit right in polite company — she also finds the quietly mundane: people drinking, passing time, doing whatever they’re doing. The subjects can be loud and chaotic, but the paintings remain distant and intimate — like watching something unfold from across the room.
Patricia’s work doesn’t explain itself or ask to be admired. These paintings aren’t trying to make a point. They’re just paying attention. In an industry where paintings compete to be louder, bolder, and bigger, Patricia’s work stays quiet. You can walk past them, or you can stop and look. Either is fine.
The work exists not only for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure), but as a direct challenge to the Filipino culture of “hiya” or shame. In a society where saving face runs deep, everyone always has their best foot forward and acts “proper.” In Patricia’s paintings, people have nothing to hide. It’s the plain (and sometimes ugly) truth, in focus.
OVEREXPOSED is a solo exhibition of Filipino visual artist, Patricia Collantes. It will be on view from June 24 – July 8, 2026 with an Artist’s Reception on June 27, 2026
(Saturday) at 6:00 PM at the ARTISTSPACE located at Ground Level, Ayala Museum Annex, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City.
About the Artist
From the colorful streets of Manila to scandalous images of people urinating or hungover, Patricia Collantes sees stories worth telling. She enjoys exposing the dirty secrets of humanity through her work—capturing her subjects at their most relaxed.
Born in 1963 and based in Metro Manila, Patricia uses a simple canvas and acrylic paint to transform both the mundane and ugly into captivating and dynamic scenes. When she isn’t making figurative art, she’s dabbling in the abstract—where she allows herself the joy of painting without guides, following where her hand takes her.
When Patricia was a young girl, she learned how to draw a face from a close childhood friend. Since then, she’s never stopped drawing faces–especially after 2016, when she began to take painting seriously. From that point onwards, she has been a part of various group shows to exhibit her work. She has also been awarded twice by GSIS; once in 2023 for an honorable mention, and once more as a finalist in 2024.
Started in 1927, the Philippines Graphic is the longest-running printed magazine of national circulation that provides relevant news and features and promotes Philippine literature.
