Juan Paolo “Jappy” Agoncillo, muralist and illustrator, transformed the large walls in Metro Manila into his own canvas and made them come to life with his energetic, colorful, lively, and dynamic illustrations. He specializes in illustrations, murals, and even paintings that were largely influenced by his early encounter with creative pop through the arms of television, comic books, and fantasy stories.
He’s done projects nearly all over the Metro. He often collaborates with local Philippine companies like SM, Ayala, and Filinvest. He also likes to work with local small businesses as his work can be found in bars, restaurants, retail shops, and other similar establishments.
He also painted a street piece in Barangay Maybunga, Pasig City, in commemoration of the year of the Tiger.
He also painted his neighborhood in Manila, his way of paying tribute to boxing and basketball legends. These are also the athletes who inspired him to keep moving and stay motivated during the long months of quarantine.
He also did two big murals for Boysen Paint and Festival Mall, Alabang, in the south of Metro Manila. The Murals are a part of the Festival’s Ecommunity Initiative—an environmental awareness and conservation program by their owner, Filinvest. Boysen Paint, a top local supplier of various paint products, sponsored the murals and provided the paint used in their production.
In June, he collaborated with Adidas on their newest line of tees, dubbed “Manila Hoops.” The line, featuring two fresh designs, mirrors Filipinos’ basketball culture with the help of his designs. He brought the collection to life by drawing inspiration from iconic city landmarks such as Manila City Skyline, City Hall, and Roxas Blvd., and even street food like taho, kwek-kwek, and betamax, making it a true ode to Filipinos’ love for the sport.
Agoncillo also worked with international companies such as Heineken, Johnnie Walker, Paypal, Adobe, and Shake Shack. He also has pieces that can be found on the streets of New York, Los Angeles, and Mumbai, India.
Recently, he was tapped by Disney to do the mural for Thor: Love and Thunder in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, making it his largest mural in Manila. Disney and Marvel Studios gave Agoncillo a hefty amount of creative freedom for the mural. And as a big fan of Marvel himself, the piece helped bring out the fan in him.
Agoncillo didn’t really plan on being an artist in the first place. He took a degree in Legal Management at Manila De La Salle University and hopes to go on to attend law school. But while being a law student in the day, he is a freelance artist by night. He would create artworks and sell stickers to his classmates and friends, eventually moving on to do larger and larger commissions until he found himself taking on commissions from clients doing paintings, murals, logos, and layouts. And by the time of his graduation, his small side-hustle had become a career. After working hard and earning his Legal Management degree, he committed his life to the arts.
For Agoncillo, art represents opportunity—to engage, to learn, to be free, to tell stories, and to inspire others to tell theirs. And the Metro is such a colorful city that when he does artwork on the street or artwork on the subject of Manila itself, he feels the need to match and try to contain it in a mural or an illustration, to capture the hustle, the sights, the sounds, and make something out of it.
Photo Credit: https://www.instagram.com/jappyagoncillo/
Source: https://www.jappyagoncillo.com/
