MANILA, Philippines – Nowadays, at art markets, you would often just make your way around the venue’s narrow aisles, purchase some stickers or art prints, then leave.

But more and more artist collectives are rightfully changing the game — putting community right at the center of it all. Care of BLTX, Manila Comics Fair, and Manila Illustration Fair, to name a few, we were able to see more jam-packed programs that didn’t just involve buying and selling merch, but also valuable initiatives that both artists and attendees could take part in for free.

Kittybug Press is the latest addition to the mix. The New York-based independent micropress and artist collective’s owners Anna Marcelo and Rice Gallardo — in collaboration with Manila Comics Fair — decided to organize the first-ever Kittybug Pop-up and Art Market on January 11 at Kowloon House along Matalino Street, Quezon City, and it was an event that really put accessibility and holistic art appreciation at the forefront.

Art for everyone

One of the event’s goals was to make risograph (riso) for art, zine-making, and independent publishing more accessible to Filipino female and LGBTQ+ artists.

“In New York, there are so many events and art markets that we just get inspired by attending them and doing our own little research whenever we attend them, and we really see the enthusiasm that the American art community has for these types of art markets, even for specifically risograph art. We wanted to bring that to our community by [sharing] what we experienced in the States and introduce that sort of thing and that community and appreciation for art locally,” Gallardo told Rappler.

That’s something you could easily notice at Kowloon House on the day of the pop-up and art market. When you looked straight ahead, you’d see people whose eyes were glued to the wide selection of books and zines at the zine library.

When you looked to your left, you would also see free workshops being held to introduce people to riso. Each workshop was a gold mine of knowledge, and whether or not you knew anything about what riso was before entering the venue, you were sure to learn a handful of new things.

For one, in Marcelo’s “Risograph for Illustration and Photography” workshop, they helped debunk people’s common apprehensions, if any, toward pursuing riso — pointing out that it’s actually everywhere in the Philippines, like in the flyers or campaign posters we’d often see stuck to walls or utility poles on the street.

Hours later, there was also a live comics reading that brought the following works to life: Numbers by Rice Gallardo, Sci-fi Comic by Elle Shivers, and Time Dilation by Diigii Daguna.

Meanwhile, taking up a large chunk of the right side of the venue was the lively art market, filled with booths lined with talented Filipino LGBTQ+ and female artists’ work. There were a total of 22 artists whose creations you could purchase, be it stickers, pins, keychains, art prints, or zines. The space was packed in the best way, with artists eager to share their art with others, and attendees eager to support their craft.

“[The] Kittybug pop-up is really about seeing how we can imagine a space where we can collaborate and talk about independent publishing and small publishing or making zines or risograph in an accessible way, so [showcasing] our collaborators felt like the best way to concretely show to people that, ‘Hey, you can actually make stuff. You don’t need a down payment, you don’t need to invest in so much, and you can make a whole riso zine. You can make a whole print. You just have to apply [to do it],'” Marcelo told Rappler, highlighting Kittybug’s advocacy of making riso easier to pursue for the local art community.

One of these artists is Pepe Reyes, an illustrator and graphic designer.

In May 2024, Kittybug Press posted an open call online looking for female and/or LGBTQ+ artists whose work they could print for free. Reyes sent in his application, and they ended up collaborating on a piece that the artist made.

Nearly a year after that open call, this risograph print made its way to Reyes’ booth during the event!

Vibrant community

Whether you were an artist or an attendee, there was a glaring quality you could feel throughout the whole event, and it was the sense of community that radiated within the venue from the start. Riso knowledge was shared freely, artists brought their own zines and books to fill up the zine library, and it was clear that everyone was just happy to be surrounded by art.

“I think sa (in the) art practice, traditionally you feel very alone…. Stuff like conventions and collaborative efforts like Kittybug, it really gives you that support,” Reyes shared with Rappler.

This was something you could also see during the afterparty rave, where DJs BEDSPACERS (Mich Cervantes) and Jer Dee played beats for everyone who stayed after the main event concluded. Both their sets were infused with video game songs, K-pop, and anime music.

“I don’t get to play this kind of music very often. To be a DJ in Manila means that you kind of have to conform sometimes to the kind of music that a venue wants you to play, so I’m really happy that I have the freedom to play the things that I like and that I know I’m going to be playing to a crowd who also shares the same thoughts or shares the same music taste and likes the same things [that I do],” BEDSPACERS told Rappler.

Clearly, whether it was through art or music, Kittybug was able to foster the very environment anybody could have a great time in. Hopefully, this event could signal the creation of even more community-centric pop-ups and art markets in the future. – Rappler.com