Marigold Santos, a 44-year-old Filipina mother, has won the inaugural 'Art SG Futures Prize' at the prestigious Art Singapore fair, claiming a $10,000 award worth nearly P600,000. Her paintings of 'aswang' witches caught the attention of international jurors. This victory highlights the growing recognition of Filipino artists on the global stage.
Marigold Santos, a 44-year-old Filipina mother, received the inaugural 'Art SG Futures Prize' at Art Singapore, the region's largest art fair featuring over 100 galleries. The award, presented by Swiss banking giant UBS, carries a $10,000 prize, equivalent to nearly P600,000. Her 16 winning works, painted in ink on hand-marbled paper, depict curvaceous dancing witches as part of her 'Shroud Transfiguration' series. These pieces, sized slightly larger than legal bond paper and priced at $2,500 each, were nearly sold out before her victory was announced.
Santos was selected by three international jurors from 37 other artists in the fair's 'Futures' section, recognizing her as the most outstanding emerging artist. She is represented by the Toronto-based Patel Brown gallery since 2019. Having migrated to Canada at age seven, she now resides in Calgary, where she underwent formal art training. She views her work as a commitment to passing on 'fierce legacies' to Filipinos worldwide, blending ancestral memory with modern identity.
Art SG opened to the public on January 23 and continues until today at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center. Magnus Renfrew, co-founder of the art platform, presented the award in a simple ceremony.
