Emilia Monroy is a Filipino-American artist whose work radiates with emotion, movement, and spiritual depth. Known for her distinctive finger painting technique, Monroy creates effervescent compositions that blur the line between abstraction and figuration. Her paintings are tactile and intuitive—each stroke a direct extension of the artist’s hand, capturing energy and feeling in real time.
A resident of Garden City, New York, Monroy studied at the Art Students League of New York and trained under several Filipino masters, including Lorenzo, Legaspi, de la Rosa, Sodusta, and Piano. Her artistic journey spans decades and continents, with exhibitions held in New York, Washington D.C., New Jersey, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, and Argentina.
In 2011, she became the first Filipino artist to be featured at the Garden City Public Library, where her solo exhibition Beneath the Artist’s Hand was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Ambassador Mario L. De Leon Jr. and other dignitaries2. Her work was praised for its expressive beauty and its ability to transform public spaces into sites of reflection and cultural pride.
Monroy’s art also carries a philanthropic spirit—a portion of her exhibition proceeds supported organizations like Feed the Children Foundation and Caritas Solomon Islands. Her practice continues to inspire through its blend of technical innovation, emotional honesty, and cultural storytelling.
