Born in 1980 in Lucena City, Philippines, Buen Calubayan is currently based in Manila. He
examines the contradictions found within the notion of Filipino identity through his own endeavors
as an artist seeking self-validation. In his painting as well as in performances, sculptures, and
conceptual pieces, he combines autobiographical material with canonical works, blurring the
distinctions between personal and cultural histories. He believes that personal conflicts can be seen
as microcosms of the continuous struggle for autonomy that plagues his country, and that his search
for the appropriate form to embody these ideas through art can also reflect a whole nation’s search
for an inherent aesthetic taste.
In 2025, Calubayan presented a solo exhibition titled Amoy Araw: Rhythms of Play and Labor at
Arario Gallery Seoul, featuring 21 new works that explore the rhythms of physical labor and play.
His recent exhibitions include Antimemory Antiarchive at Mind Set Art Center, Taipei (2020),
Landscape, Museum, Household: A Sweeper’s Guide at RYSE Hotel, Seoul (2019), and Biowork
at Ateneo Art Gallery, Manila (2015). His work has also been shown at institutions such as HKW
Berlin, Gwangju Museum of Art, Arario Gallery Shanghai, and the Metropolitan Museum of
Manila. Calubayan was awarded the Thirteen Artists Award by the Cultural Center of the Philippines
in 2009 and the Fernando Zóbel Prize for Visual Art in 2013.