Villanueva Jr., Cris

Born in 1959, Cris Villanueva Jr. is a multi-awarded contemporary Filipino painter and visual communicator based in Antipolo, Rizal. His artistic trajectory is distinctively shaped by a multi-disciplinary background, merging political frameworks with formal design training. Villanueva initially pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the Philippine Christian University (graduating in 1984) with intentions of entering foreign service, before pivoting fully to his artistic calling. He subsequently earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Visual Communications, from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1990. Before committing entirely to his fine arts practice, Villanueva worked extensively as a graphic designer, layout visualizer, and album cover artist for commercial advertising agencies and national music labels. He rose to prominent national acclaim in the mid-2000s through his consecutive, top-tier victories at the country's most competitive art institutions. Major Awards & Distinctions:2005: Grand Prize Winner – Philippine Art Awards (Philip Morris) for his landmark work, Something Is Missing But Something Is Found. 2006: Juror's Choice Award – Philippine Art Awards (Philip Morris) for his optical-illusion work, Blink. 2009–2010: National Finalist – Philippine Art Awards. Selected Exhibitions:2021: Displaying Historic Weaponry (Solo) – Modeka Art, Makati City 2019: Act Like Nothing's Wrong (Solo) – Cartellino / Artinformal, Makati City 2015: Selected Phases of Light – Leon Gallery, Manila 2011: Sleeper (Solo) – Mag:net Gallery Katipunan, Quezon City Institutional Showcases: Regular features and major gallery representations across premier national hubs, including Galleria Duemila and Kaida Contemporary.