23 May 2026
Carmela Marfori is stepping into the spotlight with Malaya Clara, Malaya Ka Ba?, her first solo exhibition at the NCCA Gallery in Intramuros. Running until May 31, the show invites audiences to explore freedom, identity, and womanhood through sculpture, textiles, and interactive installations.
A member of the pioneer batch of Benilde’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Culture-Based Arts program, Marfori is also making history as the youngest-ever recipient of the NCCA Gallery Exhibition Grant. Her achievement offers an early glimpse of what students can accomplish through a program that combines Fine Arts with a deep engagement with Philippine arts and culture.
At the center of the exhibit is Malaya Clara, a sculpture that reimagines the Maria Clara archetype through butterfly wings and deconstructed Filipiniana fabrics. Around it, works such as Sa Pagitan and the Milagrosa series explore themes of hope, healing, and resilience. Interactive pieces including Sumpa Kita and Malaya Ka Ba? invite visitors to take part by offering sampaguita garlands or sharing their own thoughts on freedom.
The exhibition also offers a glimpse of the kind of work students create in Benilde’s Culture-Based Arts program. As the first Fine Arts degree in the country built around Philippine arts and culture, the program encourages students to engage with cultural communities, explore different forms of creative expression, and create work that is rooted in research as well as lived experience.
Drawing from history while finding new ways to speak to the present, Marfori transforms familiar cultural symbols and traditional materials into contemporary artworks. Throughout the exhibition, she opens conversations about freedom, identity, and womanhood in ways that feel both personal and culturally grounded.
The ability to reimagine traditional materials and ideas for contemporary audiences is something encouraged in Benilde’s Culture-Based Arts program. As one of its pioneering students, Marfori is part of a new generation of artists who are deeply connected to Philippine culture while remaining open to experimentation and innovation.
Visitors to Malaya Clara, Malaya Ka Ba? will discover not only a personal artistic journey but also an invitation to reflect on what it means to be free.
For more information on Benilde’s undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
