Reminisce
Ernesto Avila
Philippine Center New York
Exhibit Runs from August 4 – 15, 2025

Largely self-taught, Ernesto began his artistic journey in his teenage years when he was frequently commissioned to paint posters and illustrations for movie features at the Pines Theater in Baguio City. When his family relocated to New York, he joined the Society of Pilipino-American Artists, immersing himself in a vibrant creative community and absorbing new influences. He spent countless hours exploring museums and art studios, cultivating his artistic eye.

Driven by nostalgia, he began to paint lush, evocative scenes of rural life (drawn from his formative childhood days in Moncada, Tarlac). In the 1990s, a series of journeys through European art capitals such as Rome, Florence, Paris, and London exposed him to the works of the old masters. These experiences not only broadened his technical repertoire but also stirred within him a deeper ardor, inspiring him to create with renewed zeal and emotional intensity.