MANILA, Philippines — Gajah Gallery will open a new art space in the Philippines after championing Southeast Asian art in its galleries in Indonesia and Singapore.

Opening on November 28, Gajah Gallery Manila will join spaces that have opened in Singapore and the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Yogyakarta.

The new gallery will be inaugurated by the “Confabulations: A Fantasy of the Real” exhibit curated by Joyce Toh, featuring artists that have exhibited at Gajah Gallery.

These include National Artist Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, fellow Baguio-based Kawayan de Guia, artist-filmaker Kiri Dalena, and contemporary artists Charlie Co and Marina Cruz. Art activists Mark Justiniani and Leslie de Chavez are also part of the exhibit. 

From Southeast Asian neighbors are Singaporean artist Suzann Victor; Indonesian artists Yunizar, Rudi Mantofani, Erizal A.S., and Ocid; and Balinese artists, Jemana Murti, Mangu Putra, and the late IGAK Murniasih.

The central question posited by “Confabulations” is: “What manner of realism can truly picture ‘the real?’”

Prior to the opening of Gajah Gallery Manila, it frequently appeared in the Philippines through large exhibitions, most prominently during the annual Art Fair Philippines.