Born and raised in the region of many talents, Bulakenyo Artist Manuel Gomez surely knows how to play creative force of multiple mediums.
In the local rap scene, you might know him as “PENDUKO” under the Raplines Battle League, or as a member of the hiphop group OUTRE.
But his creativity doesn’t stop at music.
He’s also deeply embedded in the visual arts, having participated in the prestigious Linangan Artist Residency—an alternative art school and artist residency in the Philippines, fostering Contemporary Philippine Art through mentorship, workshops, and community.
This July 2026, Manuel Gomez teamed up with Pamela Maceda to showcase his latest canvas pieces in their duo art show, “Wala(t)”.
Canvas Meets No-End World!
When it comes to painting, Manuel leans into pure spontaneity and intuition. Manuel holds the visual poetry of a raw, straight-to-canvas approach with no predefined end.
Finding the pulsating energy of the lighter process in freeing.
He pushed his boundaries on a specific piece featuring dystopic elements.
Manuel even laughed out forgetting the title of his own piece. But stated that it was a challenge that wasn’t super deep, but not super technical.
Leaning towards enjoying and taking time on getting to know one self during the process.
Then Came “Wala(t)”
The collaborative exhibition “Wala(t)” was actually years in the making.
Along with the collaborator Pamela Maceda, the show was originally supposed to happen a long time ago, but it kept getting pushed back.
Thanks to that lengthy, drawn-out process, the concept of “Wala(t)” was born. It’s an internal and personal concept, but Manuel and Pamela have their own unique interpretations of it.
As the creative landscape shifts, Manuel reflects on the rise of generative AI art.
He notes how technology is changing early education, observing,
Ang mga Grade one ngayon, hindi na lapis at ballpen ang hawak, eh.
Ngayon tablet na. Iyon yung nakakatakot na part.”
Still, he finds a grounded sense of hope, adding,
Basta hangga’t may batang nag-dodrawing.”
The Dystopic Visual AI Can’t Replicate
We live in such a dystopic era that now blurs the discernment on what is true and human.
The Wala(t) Duo Art Show raises just the urging matter of our time. Exhibiting a compelling exploration of human vulnerability and raw creativity.
These works, on their own kind of existence, weaves the personal internal struggles with a broader commentary on our changing tech vs. humanities world.
By letting their distinct voices stand side-by-side rather than completely blending together, Pamela Maceda and Manuel Gomez offer a powerful, thought-provoking experience that lingers long after you leave.
The Wala(t) exhibition runs until August 31, 2026 in KalawakanSpacetime, at the Mezzanine of the Casa Bella Building, Quezon City.
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