Hiraya: Colors of Life Exhibit (Belmont Hotel Manila, Pasay City, Metro Manila)

 

Hiraya: Colors of Life Exhibit

Hiraya, a recurring and ongoing, multi-edition lobby art and cultural exhibit series hosted by Belmont Hotel Manila, features local Filipino artists and creatives and was designed to support world-class Filipino talents and bring art outside traditional gallery spaces, the series highlights paintings, sculptures, and photography from various contemporary artists.  While various iterations of the series have focused on different thematic mediums—ranging from watercolor and abstract sculptures to photography—the hotel regularly rotates its featured artists in partnership with art curation groups. 

This coming November 4, 2026, Hiraya: Colors of Life, an art exhibit (the seventh in the series) in collaboration with Fili Artists, will open at Café Belmont.  On display at the hotel lobby, the exhibit is spearheaded by Hotel Manager Ms. Mayann Malapote and Megaworld Hotels & Resorts Cluster General Manager Mr. Socrates "Sonny" Alvaro as a platform to uplift Filipino creatives. All exhibited artworks are open to hotel guests and the general public, with most displayed artworks available for acquisition through the hotel team. 

Fili Artists is a non-profit collective of Filipino visual artists, from across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, whose works celebrate the diversity, creativity, and stories of local talent. Through Hiraya, the hotel hopes to provide a platform for these artists to share their work with a wider audience and allow their guests to experience the beauty of Filipino art within our hospitality space. 

They are widely known for bringing local art out of conventional galleries and into luxury spaces. They have held notable back-to-back exhibits across prominent hotels such as Swissôtel Clark, Marriott Clark, Hilton Clark, Sheraton Manila Bay, and Diamond Hotel. Key active members include Jude Arceo, Sharayah Concepcion, Erian Gallardo, Kristine Joy Padua, Heidi Rodis, Liz Tupas and Heidi Villanueva. 

This lobby art and cultural exhibit had its beginnings in 2023 with Hiraya: A Visual Feast of Filipino Culture (August 16 to September 16, 2023), which featured 20 watercolor paintings of artists Joel Ajero, Wilfredo “Yeye” Calderon, Rene Canlas, Rolan Guina, and Joie Pabilando (in partnership with ArtisteSpace Inc. and supported by the Department of Tourism). 

Early the next year, in celebration of National Arts Month, it was followed by Hiraya: The Legacy of The Blanco Family (January 31 through February 29, 2024) which featured 23 oil paintings on canvas, showcasing traditional Filipino culture, daily life, and family heritage, combining classic and contemporary pieces of the renowned Blanco family of Angono, Rizal (including the seven siblings Jose Glenn, Noel, Michael, Joy, Jan, Gay, and Peter Paul Blanco), alongside works by patriarch Jose "Pitok" V. Blanco and Loring Perez-Blanco.  A portion of the proceeds from sold artworks benefited Habitat for Humanity Philippines Bahay ni Juan. 

Hiraya: Kape, Sining, Kultura (June to July 24, 2024), the third Hiraya art exhibit and the second that year, featured coffee art of Rens E. Tuzon and Esang Ocampo celebrating Filipino culture and local coffee farmers (in partnership with the Coffee Artists of the Philippines). Hiraya: Ang Hugis ng Imahinasyon (September – November 20, 2024), the fourth exhibit and the last for the year, featured mixed-media sculptures and abstract creations, using recycled materials, of contemporary artist Marlon Luceñara from Sagay City, Negros Occidental. 

The next year, Hiraya: Crafted Visions (February – April 2025), the fifth Hiraya exhibit, featured the three-dimensional sculptures, exploring nature, human experience, and organic-surreal forms, of sculptor Josso Baldera who was apprenticed under Angelito Cacnio.   

Most recently, the hotel also hosted Hiraya: Beyond the Gallery (August – September 2026), the first solo exhibition of fine art landscape photographer Brix Tan whose fine art landscape photography, showcasing scenic views across the Philippine archipelago, celebrates Philippine culture, nature, and local communities, including selected pieces from the LUMIBOX Series (produced in limited editions of 10). It also featured Manny Cabrera’s striking use of color alongside Japeth Aguilar.  Tan’s digital catalog was viewable via the Belmont Hotel Manila Digital Catalogue through September 30, 2026. 

Cafe Belmont: Belmont Hotel Manila, Newport Blvd, Newport City, Pasay City. You can contact the hotel directly at +63 2 5318 8888 or email info@belmontmanila.com.