The Artistic Research Center (ARC) was founded to advance Philippine Women's University's vision of becoming a leading institution for arts-based inquiry in the region.
As a platform for creative scholarship, ARC engages in mapping workshops, collaborative publications, and interdisciplinary exhibitions that explore the intersections of art, culture, and community. Through these initiatives, the Center highlights the significance of artistic research as a mode of knowledge production that informs education, cultural practice, and social engagement.
Research & Projects
ARC advances practice-based and community-oriented research that explores the role of art and design in cultural and social development. Current initiatives include Project Panatag, the VLIR-UOS International Training Program (ITP), and the Subjective Atlas of the Philippines, each fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and critical inquiry.
Publications & Knowledge Sharing
ARC contributes to the discourse on creative and cultural research through publications such as Bugkos, Sabagatan, and the forthcoming Subjective Atlas of the Philippines. These works extend the Center’s commitment to documenting, interpreting, and disseminating artistic knowledge across diverse communities.
Departments & Platforms
The Center operates through its specialized units — the JCB Gallery, MARS Printmaking Studio, and DesignLab. These platforms integrate teaching, research, and creative production, providing venues for experimentation, exhibition, and design-driven investigation.
Vision
ARC envisions a future where academic research and creative methodologies converge to advance contemporary art, music, dance, performance, culture, heritage, and art education. The center explores the intersectional processes of creative practice and research thinking, promoting cross-disciplinary collaboration, enhancing critical thinking and creativity, providing real-world applications, preserving cultural heritage, and fostering a vibrant artistic community.
Mission
ARC serves as a creative hub that advances knowledge production through artistic research, collaboration, innovation, and proficiency, within the arts, humanities, and education ecosystem. It is dedicated to advancing and redefining how we explore, interpret, and communicate the complexities of the human experience by integrating art, music, and technology into our creative processes. It aims to utilize innovative and artistic approaches to facilitate local and international cultural exchange projects, a diverse array of inspiring projects, conferences, courses, workshops, and creative research opportunities for artists, writers, scholars, and academics.
How does ARC impact communities?
Through fieldwork, workshops, and creative mapping, ARC connects research to lived experience.
What makes ARC unique?
ARC integrates research across exhibitions, publications, certifications, and design labs.
Who are ARC's partners?
We work with institutions like VLU–UOS, APARN, Fundacion Sansó, and regional collaborators.
What’s next for ARC?
We launch the Subjective Atlas of the Philippines and host the first Artistic Research Conference in 2026.
Meet the Team
JOSEPHINE TURALBA
a Filipina interdisciplinary artist based in Manila, Boston, and Antwerp. She explores sociopolitical narratives, myths, and personal histories through performance, installation, video, tapestry, photography, and painting, addressing themes of divide and convergence.
Turalba’s exhibitions include the Art Basel Hong Kong 2025, the 2016 London Biennale, European Cultural Center (concurrent with the 56th Venice Biennale), 12th Cairo Biennale, Arter Space Istanbul, and Cultural Center of the Philippines. She is currently the Director of the Arts-Based Research Center at Philippine Women’s University and a Research Fellow at the MIT Future Heritage Lab. She holds an MFA in New Media and MA in Artistic Research.
PORTIA PLACINO
is a curator and independent arts writer. She currently runs the JCB Gallery at Philippine Women’s University. Her writings appeared in ArtAsiaPacific, ArtReview, ArtSG, Art+ Magazine, SpotPh, Esquire Philippines, and several local and international academic publications. She received research and writing residencies and grants in the Philippines, Germany, Korea, and Belgium. She scrutinizes and situates marginal and off-center art practices including regional contemporary art, feminist perspectives, and sociopolitical currents in her curatorial work. Her writing projects examine the position of contemporary art in an embattled society.
MELLANNY ARGUZON-AQUINO
an interdisciplinary designer and printmaker specializing in relief and mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing). Her work explores themes of identity in motherhood, sustainability, and material experimentation – blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary approaches. Fascinated by light and deeply inspired by nature, she uses bold graphic forms and mixed media to capture beauty and harmony in her compositions.
She is a part-time faculty member at the Philippine Women’s University’s School of Fine Arts and Design (PWU SFAD) and serves as the part-time program coordinator for the MARS Center for Printmaking under the Arts-based Research Center (ARC). As one of the founders of the all-women printmaking collective Hanan Initiative PH, she is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive space for women to refine their skills and grow as printmakers.
Before becoming a printmaker, Mellanny built a diverse career in the automotive, advertising, publishing, and multimedia arts industries, working as either a product or graphic designer. Her creative journey also led her to explore photography, theater arts, and film directing, which she studied at the Mowelfund Film Institute. She is an active member of the Association of Pinoy Printmakers (AP).
Mellanny holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from CSB and a Master’s in Marketing Communications from DLSU. Through her artistic practice, she continues to explore the intersections of tradition, innovation, and materiality, pushing the boundaries of printmaking to inspire new perspectives.
MICHAEL “MIGS” DE LEON
A seasoned Creative Director and Brand Strategist with over 20 years of experience building brands, systems, and campaigns that drive measurable impact. He has served as Co founder and Chief Creative and Experience Director across Creative Startups and international design and brand agencies in the United States, Australia, Dubai, and Israel.
He currently collaborates as Creative Director, TESDA Trainer, and Program Coordinator at DesignLab under the Artistic Research Center, where he helps shape industry aligned creative education and training. Michael is also an Adjunct Professor at Philippine Women’s University School of Fine Arts and Design, mentoring the next generation of designers and creative leaders.
His work spans D2C, B2B, and institutional sectors, blending creative direction, brand strategy, and operational thinking to help organizations grow with focus and intention. Whether leading teams, building systems, or mentoring creatives, Michael remains deeply committed to work that moves brands forward and builds meaningful, lasting connections.
JL DIQUIT
is a graphic designer and currently the operational and curatorial assistant at the JCB Gallery, where she has led the design identity of the gallery’s exhibitions and special projects over the past year. With a foundation in visual communication, her work supports both the aesthetic and conceptual goals of the gallery’s programming. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising from the Technological University of the Philippines and a Master in Management major in Public Administration from the Philippine Christian University. Currently, she is also undergoing training in curatorial practice, allowing her to further engage in research, exhibition development, and audience-focused storytelling.