Muralist Jappy Agoncillo: The heart of a craftsman, the grit of an athlete
Artist Jappy Agoncillo presents HOWLIN’, a two-day pop-up exhibition August 22–23 at All Street Gallery in the East Village, marking his solo debut in New York.
The show features a new collection of small works and creative collaborations that capture the restless energy and risk-taking spirit of an artist carving out a new path.
Best known for bold, large-scale murals and vivid, story-driven imagery, Agoncillo turns inward for HOWLIN’, offering a raw and intimate glimpse into his evolving visual language. The exhibition showcases character-driven pieces, loose narrative studies, and experimental works that explore the tensions of transition—both stylistic and personal.
Hailing from the Philippines, Agoncillo has earned a reputation as one of Manila’s most prolific young artists. Now based in New York, HOWLIN’ channels the urgency and hunger of a creative leap into unfamiliar territory, marked by pressure, reinvention, and relentless drive.
The pop-up also features collaborative works with an eclectic mix of street artists, fine artists, and illustrators, including Wizard Skull, Lamour Supreme, Riisa Boogie, Zeehan Wazed, Jason Naylor, and more.”
The Manila-born artist and illustrator has been working as a freelance creative since his college days in the Philippines in 2015.
His family is quite a modest one. He grew up with his grandmother while his parents both worked full time.
“My mom was an executive assistant and my dad worked in the airline service industry. I have two siblings, one older and one younger. To my knowledge I’m the only one in the family, both immediate and extended, to pursue a career in the arts full-time,” he shared when interviewed by The FilAm.
He didn’t have a full formal arts education. As he recalled right out of high school, he went to the University of Santo Tomas for fine arts, “but got burnt out quickly.”
He thought that art wasn’t his calling as a career, so he shifted to Legal Management in De La Salle University, hoping to become a lawyer. While in school, he continued to paint, eventually getting hired for various commissions. He started to work as an artist in his free time, sacrificing nights out with his friends and weekends with his family to work. He finished his degree in Legal Management and ended up still pursuing a career in the arts, “albeit on my own terms.”
After working for some time as a muralist and illustrator in Manila, he had built up enough of a portfolio and saved up enough money to try to make it as an artist in the U.S.
“I moved to NYC in 2023 after obtaining an O1 Artist Visa in 2021. I initially applied for the Visa in 2020 but the pandemic had delayed my plans. Over the past three years I split my time between NYC and Manila, spending the Spring-Fall in New York and spending Christmas and winters in Manila.”
Since moving to NYC he has joined a strong community of contemporary and street artists, and has worked with clients such as the NY Giants, Sharpie, 88 Rising, and Unilever.
“When it comes to artistic ability, like any artist, I’m my own biggest critic, and I’m very unsure about how good I can be, but I lean on the fact that I have an insane work ethic and a hunger and ambition to match,” he said.
He said he loves challenging projects, putting himself in tough positions to see how he is able to work his way out.
“I love trying things that people may deem impossible – just to see for myself if I can do it or not,” he said. “Every piece I create, every idea I have needs to be better than the last, and I push myself to continue improving, with the ultimate goal of seeing just how far I can take my art career. I love creating things and building worlds and making things with my hands. I have the heart of a craftsman, but I approach everything with the grit of an athlete.”
His goal ultimately is to share his unique perspective with people, and see the joy that his work brings to them.
