The hotel by the bay turns its gallery into a meditation on identity, geography, and the stories we carry across continents.
Conrad Manila continues to position itself at the intersection of culture and contemporary hospitality with the unveiling of Return & Remember: Places & Home, the 38th edition of its Of Art and Wine series. Featuring the works of J.A. Tan, a Filipino-Canadian artist celebrated for his chromatic sensitivity and distinct perspective as an artist on the autism spectrum, the exhibition opens at Gallery C from November 19, 2025 to January 17, 2026.
Tan’s 36-piece collection functions like a visual archive. Each painting is a retrieval—of a city, a season, a fleeting emotional temperature. Vancouver’s cool light, Manila’s restless energy, the textures of Europe and America all converge on canvas as layered recollections, reframed through Tan’s intuitive palette. The result is a body of work that feels grounded yet fluid, autobiographical yet universally resonant.
“Inclusivity has always been at the heart of Conrad Manila,” says Rupert Hallam, General Manager. “This series gains new meaning with J.A. Tan’s contribution. His voice, his vision, and his lived experience enrich the cultural landscape we’ve been cultivating at the hotel.”
For Tan, the exhibition is both a return and a reckoning: “Each image speaks of a moment, a place, or a feeling that resonates deeply within me. These paintings bring together fragments of memory—imprints that have shaped my sense of self in the world.”
Tan relocated from the Philippines to Vancouver in 2006 and later earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2010. Since then, he has built an active career as a visual artist, presenting solo and group exhibitions in Vancouver, California, New York, Miami, London, Beijing, and Manila. Tan’s works have also been featured in numerous private and corporate commissions in both Vancouver and Manila.
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The show opened with a ribbon-cutting led by Elizabeth Sy, Peggy Angeles, Mona Magno-Veluz, Maribel Calma, Rupert Hallam, and the artist—an ensemble that underscores the exhibition’s blend of artistic, corporate, and advocacy-driven significance.
True to Tan’s long-standing commitment to autism awareness, the evening also staged an auction featuring a limited-edition reprint of Rice Fields, a suite of art-inspired merchandise, and a collaboration bottle of Montecorneo 570 Albe 2021 Grechetto Passito dessert wine. All proceeds were donated to the Autism Society Philippines.
An afternoon tea that mirrors the canvas
To extend the exhibition beyond the gallery walls, Conrad Manila introduces an editorial-worthy counterpart: an art-inspired afternoon tea at C Lounge. Here, culinary interpretation becomes part of the narrative, with a tasting menu that channels the layered color stories found in Tan’s work.
Highlights include roasted pumpkin and feta mousse tartlet, pork adobo polenta cake, smoked salmon with yuzu cream on rye, roasted mung bean chocolate coconut shell, valrhona Guanaja moist chocolate cake, mango–calamansi mousse with crisp black rice.
Each set is served with a pot of tea or coffee—an understated pairing that allows the flavors, much like the paintings, to speak for themselves.
J.A. Tan’s artworks are available for acquisition. For inquiries, call +632 8833 9999 or email Conrad.Manila.info@conradhotels.com.
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