Xavier Art Fest 2025
24 - 25 January
Introductions
Adrian Labuguen, Javy Villacin, Jay-r Potot , JD Yu (XS ‘05), Jerline Sunga, Marie Nelle Valmoria
Selected Works from Introductions
Adrian Labuguen, "Take a Bow", 2024, Oil on canvas, 16 x 12 in (40.6 x 30.5 cm)
Javy Villacin, "Tikum Kadlum (Black dog with a crocked tail and a shapeshifter from the Panay Bukidnon Folktale), 2024, Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 12 in (40.6 x 30.5 cm)
Jay-r Potot, "Kalye sa Bogo II", 2024, Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 9 1/2 in (30.5 x 24 cm)
JD Yu, "Evil Eye", 2024, Stoneware, 8 x 7 x 7 1/4 in (20.3 x 17.8 x 18.4 cm)
Marie Nelle Valmoria, "Helmet Gurl I", 2024, Acrylic painting and print on canvas, 16 x 12 in (40.6 x 30.5 cm)
Jerline Sunga, "Present", 2025, Acrylic on canvas, Polyptych (Set of 5; 10 x 12 in / 25.4 x 30.5 cm, each panel)
In our commitment to foster and support artistic communities, MONO8 is pleased to present the first iteration of Introductions, a series of projects that surveys emerging and perhaps overlooked established practices from the regions. For Xavier Art Fest 2025, we feature recent works by Adrian Labuguen, Javy Villacin, Jay-r Potot, JD Yu (XS ‘05), Jerline Sunga, and Marie Nelle Valmoria.
Adrian Labuguen (b.2001) is a Manila-based visual artist working with various mediums such as painting, sculpture, design, and photography. His works merge new media and traditional techniques. He draws inspiration from pop culture, psychology, and photo-based processes. Labuguen’s works were featured in the Visayas Art Fair and Art in the Park.
Javy Villacin (b.1957) traces his artistic beginnings to the Fine Arts Program of UP Cebu, which was established in 1975 by National Artist José Joya. However, he moved to Manila and received his BFA in Painting from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Shortly after graduation, he returned to Cebu and joined the UP Cebu College of Fine Arts faculty until his retirement last year. Villacin is instrumental in establishing new strategies to introduce contemporary art in the region. His practice is informed by the futuristic evolution of power and he often uses layered references and symbols from Visayas folklore and mythology. In 1988, Villacin received a fellowship grant from the British Council to study at Londo’s Byam Shaw School of Art. He lives and works between Cebu and Negros Islands.
Jay-r Potot (b. 2005) uses photography to capture life in his hometown of Bogo. Potot continues to expand his practice from painting nature and urban settings to producing surrealist portraits. Apart from painting, Potot depicts emotion, thoughts, and sentiments through graphite drawings. His works are part of his attempt to communicate with different audience types. His works were featured at the Tubô Cebu Art Fair and the Visayas Art Fair in Cebu City. Potot is part of an ongoing mentorship program organized by MONO8 and Luyo Art Space co-founded by artist Ronyel Compra in Bogo City, Cebu.
JD Yu (b.1987) primarily works with ceramics and photography. In his practice, he explores and deconstructs different methods and techniques that depict natural landscapes. Yu is an alumnus of Xavier School (2005) and received his degree in Civil Engineering from the De La Salle University (2009). He is one of the co-founders of the La Union-based Putik Friends Pottery Studio.
Jerline Sunga’s practice (b.1998) focuses on exploring different approaches in producing images that connect to the subconscious and individual psyche. Ornaments and patterns filtered in muted colors dominate her paintings. Born in Pampanga, Sunga now lives and works in Rizal and continues to present her works in exhibitions and art spaces in Manila.
Marie Nelle Valmoria (b.2000) is a Cebu-based artist and curator. In her art practice, she merges painting and new media, with a particular interest in Cybernetic Art and the use of Augmented Reality in weaving together narratives drawn from folklore and the contemporary. As a curator, Valmoria is interested in mapping Cebuano art practices and finding sustainable approaches to developing such practices within and outside the region. Valmoria graduated from the University of the Philippines in Cebu, where she completed a curatorial internship at the university’s Jose T. Joya Gallery. She worked as a Projects and Exhibitions Intern at MONO8 and continues to engage with the platform’s programs in the Visayas. Recently, she was selected to participate in ‘Curatorial Conversations: practices and potentials’, the inaugural curatorial incubator program of the De La Salle- College of St. Benilde and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design.
