Authenticity defines Inha Arceo’s art

For visual artist Inha Arceo, art was never just a pastime. What began as something deeply personal grew into a defining part of her life. From a digital space where she could share her thoughts and sketches, her social media platforms have since become a record of her growth, creating a body of work that blurs the line between a journal and a portfolio. “Initially, I treated my art account as a journal. [My posts are] really my own thoughts. Eventually, I posted more of my art created with different mediums shared in different exhibitions,” she says, recalling the early days when her illustrations often carried quotes or symbols that reflected what she was experiencing at the time.

Her followers quickly noticed the duality in her posts: paintings and digital artworks paired with words of reflection. To some, visual arts and writing may seem like two separate practices, but for Arceo, they are the same. Sunflowers are recurring motifs, and carefully chosen lines serve as visual anchors for the emotions she wanted to share. Even when she stepped back from posting for a while to focus on painting and staging exhibitions locally and internationally, the spirit of that personal journal remained embedded in her work.

At the core of her practice is authenticity. For Arceo, this isn’t a buzzword but a guiding principle. “You have to be yourself; that’s number one. Be authentic, because if you don’t know who you are and you try to be someone else, you really won’t be able to find your own identity as an artist.” Authenticity has also allowed her art to resonate with audiences beyond their aesthetic values.  

This sense of connection extends into her paintings, where her imagery combines intimacy with symbolism. Many of her pieces feature contemplative female figures, often surrounded by natural elements like florals and bold colors. These recurring motifs are not decorative choices but reflections of her inner world: symbols of growth, cycles, resilience, and hope. The sunflowers, for instance, carry personal meaning and also evoke universality. For Arceo, they are emblems of light and optimism, standing tall despite their fragility. Her use of different media is equally deliberate, moving between the softness of acrylics and the vibrancy of digital palettes, each medium chosen for the emotion she wants to convey.

Arceo’s creative process mirrors the balance between thoughts, emotions, and expression. Inspiration often begins with a personal reflection or theme she wants to explore. From there, she sketches figures or symbols, experimenting with composition until the visual narrative feels aligned with the story she wants to tell. Some ideas remain as digital prints with quotes, while others evolve into larger canvases for exhibitions. For her, the process is less about strict planning and more about openness to where the idea leads. At times, she admits, the work flows easily; at others, creative blocks force her to pause and step back. But she sees these pauses not as failures but as necessary parts of the cycle of creation.

While passion fuels her work, Inha is quick to emphasize that building an art career takes far more than inspiration. “If you’re really going to treat this seriously, it’s something to think about—like how much you want to invest yourself and your time and efforts into it to really sustain the lifestyle that you want,” she said. “And I think it entails a lot of hard work, much like any other business or career that you’re in.” Beyond creating, her days often involve emailing clients, coordinating with galleries, and staying active on social media. “Passion is there, but if there is no action or if you’re not doing anything about it, it makes all the difference. You have to be loud on social media, email your clients, and reach out to galleries. It’s really like treating yourself as this person who’s serious about art, but also wanting to get your art out there. It’s like a business.”

Her background in marketing gave her a framework to approach this side of her career. She learned to see herself not just as a maker of art but as a brand, someone whose identity, consistency, and message matter as much as the work itself.  “I allowed myself to show up consistently by doing my creative work. I made sure to be proactive while doing my best in every exhibit scene I participated in, engaging with clients and engaging properly in my socials… Eventually, the right opportunities will come in line with your goals.”

Arceo admits there have been moments when she almost gave up. The demands of balancing creativity with the business side of art can feel overwhelming, but each hurdle reinforced the importance of staying true to her identity and vision. The vulnerability she once hesitated to show has become her strength, and the consistency of her voice, whether through a digital sketch or a large-scale painting, has built an audience that sees more than images; they also see her story.

In preparing for her latest exhibition, “Of Radical Visions and Forms,” Arceo continues to build on that foundation. Audiences can expect the same honesty and intimacy that have marked her past shows: Works that weave together symbolism, personal reflection, and a sensitivity to both beauty and meaning. Every exhibit is another chapter in a long, evolving narrative, one that stays rooted in the same principle that guided the artist from the very beginning. “Once you know your identity, I think it really shows in all the artworks that you’re able to create for yourself and for others.”

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Inha Arceo’s “Of Radical Visions & Forms” opens on Wednesday, September 24, at RiseSpace Art Gallery, Comuna, Makati. It runs until October 8, 2025. Admission is free from Tuesday to Sunday, from 12 PM to 8 PM. 

Learn more about Arceo by following her on Instagram. Banner image is courtesy of Rise Space Art Gallery. Artwork images are courtesy of Inha Arceo. 

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