Jel Suarez: A bouquet of flowers must be held
Ateneo Artist In Residence
Exhibition
Public
The artist returns to her grandmother’s once-catalogued library, transforming long-kept yet untended books into handmade paper, artist books, and collages.
199 Richmond Street West
199 Richmond Street West
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Jel Suarez: A bouquet of flowers must be held
Ateneo Artist In Residence
June 10 to June 26, 2026
The artist returns to her grandmother’s once-catalogued library, transforming long-kept yet untended books into handmade paper, artist books, and collages. In A bouquet of flowers must be held, these fragments are gathered and carried as an offering to reconnect with an aunt living abroad. Each page holds traces of memory and care, gently placing something into her hands so that what has been kept may continue to be held across time and distance.
Above Image Credit: Jel Suarez, Selected artists’ book works for A bouquet of flowers must be held, 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.
Artist Biography
Jel Suarez (b. 1990, Philippines) is a self-taught visual artist based between Manila and Bacolod City. Working primarily through collage and assemblage, she collects, deconstructs, and rearranges images and materials as a way of reading and reinterpreting visual phenomena. She was an artist-in-residence at the Leipzig International Art Programme in Germany through the Goethe-Institut (2023–2024) and is a recipient of the Thirteen Artists Awards (2024) and the Ateneo Art Awards - Fernando Zóbel Prizes for Visual Art (2025).
Onsite Gallery is generously supported by The Delaney Family.
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