Galleria Duemila Marks 50 Years with a Landmark Masters Collection

AVANTI, SEMPRE AVANTI / FORWARD, ALWAYS FORWARD, celebrating 50 Years of Philippine Modern Art from 1975 to 2025, opens on January 13, 2026 and runs until March 14, 2026 at Galleria Duemila, located at 210 Loring Street, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

Founded on December 5, 1975, Galleria Duemila commemorates its golden anniversary as the longest-running art gallery in the Philippines. The milestone exhibition brings together works by 37 distinguished artists whose creative journeys are closely intertwined with the gallery’s founder, Silvana Ancellotti-Diaz. Many of these relationships grew beyond professional collaboration into lifelong friendships, formed through a shared commitment to shaping and advancing the Philippine contemporary art scene. Alongside hundreds of artists supported over the decades, these masters helped define the gallery’s enduring legacy.

The two-month celebration presents a compelling selection of paintings, mixed media works, works on paper, and sculptures, many of which have rarely or never been seen by younger generations of artists, collectors, students, educators, and art enthusiasts. Created between 1957 and 2018, the featured pieces were intuitively selected from Galleria Duemila’s extensive archive and collection. Together, they reflect the gallery’s founding philosophy of championing art not for fame or market value, but for its ability to surprise, challenge, bewilder, and spark curiosity. The exhibition invites viewers into an art world shaped by Ancellotti-Diaz’s unwavering passion for Philippine modern art and her instinctive eye for works that resonate deeply and endure.

In conjunction with the exhibition, public walk-throughs and panel discussions with writers and artists will be held from January to March 2026, offering audiences deeper insight into the works on view and the evolving narrative of Philippine modern art.

The exhibition features works by Pacita Abad, Leopoldo “Lee” Aguinaldo II, Ray Albano, Augusto “Gus” Albor, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Nunelucio Alvarado, Agnes Arellano, May Baddour, Santiago Bose, Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Eduardo Castrillo, Roberto “Bobby” Chabet, Charlie Co, Ramon Manuel “R.M.” de Leon, Duddley Diaz, Isabel Diaz, Lamberto Hechanova, Jose Joya, Lao Lianben, Raul Lebajo, Cesar Legaspi, Julie Lluch, Arturo Luz, Jerry Elizalde Navarro, Justin Nuyda, Hernando Ruiz “H.R.” Ocampo, Manuel Ocampo, Romulo Olazo, Onib Olmedo, Imelda “Impy” Pilapil, Juvenal Sanso, Mauro “Malang” Santos, Solomon Saprid, Nestor Vinluan, Betsy Westendorp, Luis “Junyee” Yee Jr., and Phyllis Zaballero.

Since its establishment in 1975, Galleria Duemila has remained dedicated to the promotion of Philippine modern and contemporary art. The gallery holds an extensive collection of paintings, prints, and sculptures, and offers services such as conservation and restoration of artworks ranging from the 16th century to contemporary pieces, as well as consultation, commissions, and installations. Founded by Silvana Ancellotti-Diaz, Italian by heart and Filipino by art, the gallery was envisioned as a platform to introduce Filipino artists locally and within the ASEAN region. It is also known for handling rare works by early 20th-century modern masters including Fernando Amorsolo, Fernando Zóbel, H.R. Ocampo, Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya, and Cesar Legaspi, while continuing to showcase both local and international artists of the current generation.

For inquiries and updates, Galleria Duemila may be reached via email at gduemila@gmail.com and through its official Facebook and Instagram pages.