MANILA, Philippines—24 year-old Filipina artist, TV host, and online personality Kimberly Ann Cruz, better known as Kim Cruz, is slated to hold NYMPHEAS— her second art exhibit this March.

Heavily influenced by one of her biggest inspirations, Monet, the theme will center around the whole essence of being a woman, and will serve as a celebration for all kinds of women.

Photographed by Juan Carlo Jose

Beginning at the age of 17, Cruz started working as a host at the Philippine TV music channel, MYX. After her stint, she ventured further into hosting by moving to ESPN Philippines prior to pursuing a career in the arts. 

Her journey into the world of art began when the global pandemic hit in 2020 when she pursued a gallery internship as a result of acting on her original passion. She was exposed to  the arts at an early age thanks to her parents as they were art collectors that had a liking to figurative art.

Cruz is a fan of artists like Monet, Renoir, Basquiat, O’ Keefe, Ben Cab and Lydia Velasco, which she described as some of her biggest influences. In the middle of her internship, she met Philippine National Artist, Ben Cab during one of his shows. Shortly after, Ben Cab took Kim under his wing as his apprentice where she was able to further hone her skills as an artist.

During her time with Ben Cab, Cruz was able to find her own distinct style as an artist, which focuses on depicting the beauty in the female form and figure. The essence of a woman is something she strives to portray in her art through her techniques when it comes to textures and colors. 

In June 2021, she held her first exhibit in Manila entitled, Figure Study. The exhibit showcased huge pieces and some works in charcoal. On the first day of the exhibit, all 14 of Kim’s pieces were purchased. 

Cruz has had a lot of notable art collectors from the Philippines as her clients since then consisting of professional athletes and actors locally, as well as from the United States. A recent commissioned piece she did was for Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors. She has also done some commission pieces for homes as well for Ben Cab, Bigboy Cheng, Brian Poe, and Eric Dee, to name a few. 

Photographed by Juan Carlo Jose

This year, Cruz is starting strong by holding her next exhibit in Manila this March. She plans on releasing new pieces and showcase a new style in her work. The exhibit entitled, NYMPHEAS, is inspired by one of her biggest inspirations in art, Monet. The theme will embody the essence of a woman – celebrating all kinds and colors of women, aimed at highlighting the versatility and power of women through this series. 

Compared to her first show, Cruz shares feeling more free as a creative and was able connect with her female energy more. She was able to show a more personal side of her as an artist which allowed her to apply a lot more of her thoughts into her work.

Cruz will be exhibiting 16 works in different mediums and sizes in NYMPHEAS as well as releasing her first collection of NFTs after the exhibit. She will also be releasing a few pieces for the victims of Typhoon Odette, with the proceeds going to community work and the rebuilding of Siargao.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CarL4EeLgOg/

Learn more about the details of Kim Cruz’s upcoming exhibit on her official social media accounts.