Sison, Yasmin

Born in Silang, Cavite, in 1972, Yasmin Sison built a highly celebrated practice that heavily balances intellectual, conceptual research with deep personal introspection. She pursued extensive academic training at the University of the Philippines Diliman, graduating with top honors before exploring various careers in art pedagogy. Her long-standing work as a primary and preschool educator deeply altered her artistic trajectory; observing children's uninhibited creative states, emotional development, and social play directly inspired her to make childhood the core theme of her art. Sison is widely revered as an indispensable pillar of contemporary Philippine art history due to her role as a founding member of Surrounded by Water (SBW). Established in 1998, this legendary, artist-run alternative collective and gallery space broke away from commercial gallery control, introducing non-traditional installations, performances, and experimental paintings to Southeast Asia. Married to fellow contemporary vanguard Mariano Ching, Sison maintains a premier transnational presence. Her works are regularly showcased by elite regional institutions and are preserved within top-tier private and institutional modern art collections across the globe. Education & Academic Pedigree2001: Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education – University of the Philippines (UP) College of Fine Arts, Diliman, Quezon City. 1997: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Major in Painting – University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. 1992: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Humanities (Cum Laude) – University of the Philippines Diliman. Major Institutional Awards & Citations2007: Shortlisted Finalist – Ateneo Art Awards, Manila, Philippines. 2006: Inducted Vanguard – Thirteen Artists Award, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Pasay City. (Conferred for her outstanding contributions to restructuring figurative expressionism within contemporary national narratives).
Exhibition HistorySelected Individual Exhibitions2023: Time is a Restless Sea – Silverlens Galleries, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. 2017: End of Summer – Silverlens Galleries, Makati City. 2012: Eating Rainbows – Silverlens Galleries, Gillman Barracks, Singapore. 2009: Into the Woods – Finale Art File, Chino Roces Ave., Makati City. 2008: Spinning Sugar – Mag:net Gallery, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City. 2005: Innocent When You Dream – Finale Art Gallery, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. 1995: Powder Room – West Gallery, Quezon City, Philippines (Professional Solo Debut). Selected Institutional Group Curation & Transnational Surveys2024: Upland Retrospectives – Bencab Museum, Tuba, Benguet, Philippines. 2019: Contemporary Echoes – Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava, Slovakia. 2018: Pintô International Survey – Pintô Art Museum at the United States Outposts, New York City, USA. 2018: ACC Fellowship Exhibition – Asian Cultural Council (ACC), Tokyo, Japan. 2014: The TAA Legacy – Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Pasay City. 2014: The Philippine Contemporary Line – Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The MET Manila), Taguig City. 2012: Surrounded by Water: Over the Water Retrospective – Equator Art Projects, Singapore. 2012: The Open Room – Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. 2009: Prague Biennale 4 – Karlin Hall, Prague, Czech Republic.