In an exclusive interview with MEGA Man, renowned Filipino artist Jappy Agoncillo shared the origins of his art, his current life in New York, and his commitment to his beloved motherland
At a time where boundaries blur and diverse cultures intertwine, there emerges an exceptional talent who embodies the essence of creativity and nationalistic pride. Meet Jappy Agoncillo, a visionary artist whose expertise across a multitude of mediums has fascinated global audiences and firmly placed the Philippines on the artistic map.
Today, Jappy’s works have been gracing various locations, both in and out of the country, showcasing the excellence of Filipino ingenuity. In this exclusive interview, he shared that underlying all of his success and recent international acclaim lies a heartfelt pledge to the land that fostered his talent.
RELATED: The Illuminating Artistry of Patrick Coard
How his art found its way
Jappy shared that he fully embraced his artistic calling during his college years, although the seeds of his passion were sown during his formative childhood days. He even recalled how his primary school teachers would always call him out whenever he was caught doodling during class. Jappy first attended the University of Santo Tomas, where he studied Fine Arts. But fate had a different plan for him. He transferred to De La Salle University, where he attained a degree in Legal Management.
The artist also remembered a time when his peers asked him to paint one of the school’s walls. Given his talent, it comes as no surprise that the results are nothing short of impressive, catapulting him into more minor creative projects to work on while pursuing his studies. Despite his decision to study business, Jappy obviously never lost his connection and passion for art.
A look into his impressive works
Jappy boasts a portfolio that features collaborations with powerhouse brands such as adidas, Playstation, Marvel, PayPal, Spotify, Ikea, and Adobe. When asked how he managed to land such projects, he stated, “You need to put yourself in a position where you can be found.” He added that artists should not worry too much about numbers when sharing their work to the public. Among the noteworthy endeavors of this talented gentleman, one cannot overlook his commissioned works for a God of War mural, a collaboration with adidas where he lent his creative genius to design limited edition sneakers, and, of course, his breathtaking mural for Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder, the latter of which caught the attention of the film’s director, Taika Waititi.
His decision to venture abroad
“If you are going to do something, you go straight for the championship.”
Jappy Agoncillo on taking the plunge to conquer the international art scene
As trite as it may sound, this young creative said that he was motivated to move across the globe by a desire to broaden his horizons. After realizing that he was already making a good living off of commissions here in the Philippines, he decided to give himself a new challenge by packing up and moving to New York.
Rising on the international scene
Last year, Jappy decided to test his mettle by throwing his hat into the ring for Young Guns, a competition that recognizes the talents of creative professionals who are 30 years old and under. In an interesting turn of events, Jappy has emerged as one of the coveted 13 finalists in COLORFUL this year, a portfolio competition exclusively for young BIPOC creative professionals and a prelude to the highly anticipated Young Guns event.
This year, Jappy is pumped up and ready to take another shot at Young Guns, aiming to blaze a trail, just like the Filipino winners who came before him, such as Dan Matutina and Raxenne Maniquiz. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery recently included Jappy as one of the 10 Rising Artists for their Artist Series Collection, part of the year-long centennial commemoration of Warner Bros. Studios’ 100th anniversary. Jappy, along with other artists from all over the world, used his art to reimagine classic Warner Bros. stories, in which he provided his own take on the character of Superman.
Constantly refining creativity
“Reinvention is much more valuable and important than stagnating, even if you are super successful.”
The artist revealed that while his signature style remains intact, he has admitted to making subtle adaptations to his craft since moving to a new environment. “If you are going to make art on the street, you have to be able to know who your audience is and play to them,” Jappy discussed.
He also shared that he looks up to several artists like Jim Lee, Shepard Fairey, and Tristan Eaton, and mentioning that during his early days as an artist, he was frequently compared to Eaton due to their similar art style.
Our conversation took an unexpected turn when the names Picasso and Taylor Swift came up. Even though they are household names in seemingly unrelated areas, Jappy has mentioned that he draws significant inspiration from both of these masters. Picasso for his willingness to always push himself, and Taylor Swift for demonstrating how to thrive in a cutthroat industry through constant reinvention.
The art of staying connected
The Filipino creative thinks it’s crucial to maintain relationships with individuals you care about, whether they’re friends or fellow artists, no matter where you may be. “I never tried to cut myself off because Manila is still my home. The Philippines is still my home. I just live [in New York] to work,” he mentioned.
When asked about the factors that would convince his return to the Philippines, he shared that he yearns for the opportunity to showcase a creation that will ignite the flames of inspiration within his fellow Filipinos. “I would love to do a project in the Philippines that has a lot more meaning. Something that would make a larger impact. While I do love the corporate projects, something that would bring me back is something that would benefit the community or benefit more people than just me and a brand,” Jappy explained.
Painting dreams across continents
Jappy gave two valuable pieces of advice to aspiring young artists who also want to make it in the competitive international art scene. “You have to start local. Do not take your roots for granted. Do not take for granted the art scene and industry where you are from because that’s where you are going to grow the most,” he discussed.
Second, one needs to be realistic. While it’s admirable to pursue one’s passions, the artist emphasized the importance of carefully considering one’s financial situation before making any major life choices. In his case, it took him a long time to save up enough money and do enough research to figure out how to get around and survive in the country he is now in.
Bridging art and love
While surviving in New York is currently his top priority, he has revealed that he has another, more ambitious objective. “I want to soak up everything I can absorb here and bring it to the Philippines and kind of elevate the industry,” the artist shared, acknowledging that there are flaws in what otherwise is a flourishing artistic community in the Philippines.
He concluded our conversation by sharing a sincere pledge to aspiring Filipino artists that he would strive to be the kind of person he needed when he was first starting out. “What I want to do is maybe, when my time here is done and I am finished learning everything, I’ll take it back home, where I can help a new generation of artists rise up,” Jappy vowed with determination.
Photos: JAPPY AGONCILLO (via Instagram)
