Scout July-August 2017

virtual
gallery
JAPPY AGONCILLO redefines how we experience art
on the street and on our screens
A VISIT TO Jappy Agoncillo’s Instagram
(@jappylemon) instantly lets you appreciate
his art. His paintings, illustrations, and murals
refine the spaces of Metro Manila
with images from our childhood—from candy–colored animals, heroes, to
popular celebrities like Sylvester Stallone and Benedict Cumberbatch. The
viewer immediately faces his subjects that are mostly pop cult icons and
are rendered through bold outlines from comic art, stylized compositions of
the street discipline, and coloring with hints of vector illustrations.
Unlike other artists, this young muralist didn’t get his big break
from mounting art in galleries nor from getting ravishing reviews from
established critics. He’s a product of the internet and social media.
“There’s a great need to get your art out online because it’s a great new
way to share art that cannot be made accessible to many,” he shares.
In other words, the internet makes art accessible and nonconforming.
Artists no longer need to be anointed by art critics, the legitimacy of art
no longer solely at the mercy of their praise. Because out there, the power
to identify and claim oneself as an artist—and equally the power to see,
interpret, and distribute art—has finally belonged to the people. “People
now can discover their talent purely through the use of technology and
recreate something they found cool on the internet,” he says.
The internet has a transformative effect on artists like him, “You allow
yourself to be inspired by others and they let you be inspired by their art
all through your phone.” That’s why there’s a personal level of familiarity
with his subjects because they’re the images we constantly search online:
Aloha girls. Skulls. Wolves. Batman. Tupac. Ninjas. Or Gogo Yubari. Or
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria.
“With all these [mobile] apps, you have all these places to get
inspiration from,” he says. Jappy shares that there are times he would
want to watch a street art documentary, or read about art history only to
find out that the links lead to a frustrating dead end and a need to pay
for the access. But this doesn’t stop Jappy from trawling the internet for
inspiration—he’s been able to access content from Netflix and Spotify
through his PayMaya, a prepaid reloadable app that provides a virtual
Visa or Mastercard to pay online.
PayMaya also enables him to receive payments from his clients,
whether they’re big businesses or non-government organizations. His
work appeals to millennials who see street art as an expression of
coolness, of liberal freedom, and of unrestrained creativity.
“Street art in Manila has been about bringing color to the gray of
the city—both literally and figuratively,” Jappy says. “I’m very lucky to
be an artist at a time when street art is so sought-after, not only by
corporate entities but by the general public. It’s an amazing time to be
an artist now.”
For more information on PayMaya, visit www.paymaya.com. Join
the conversation online by tagging PayMaya on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram at @PayMayaOfficial. Get support at @PayMayaCares.■
Jappy Agoncillo is
known for his comic
book style illustrations.
A colorful montage of pop icons led Jappy to
breaking the internet with his art.
Sun-kissed Jappy working on a dream come
true project for a music festival.