ABOUT

Hello.

I am Ana Marika, an oil painter based in Manila, Philippines.

In my home and studio, I know how it is to live alongside an animal. Intentionally or not, they become a part of your soul. The bond is one of quiet devotion, is singular. You come to know their exact shape, their breath, their voice in the dark. It is a love that needs no words.

I paint pets because I believe they deserve the same care and attention traditionally given to human portraiture. A painting shouldn't just show what an animal looks like. It should hold a piece of who they are.

My work is shaped by my time at the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines and my training at the Galvez Atelier, where I learned how to slow down and really look. For me, every brushstroke is simply an act of paying attention: the depth in an eye, the familiar tilt of a head, that tuft of fur behind the ear...

I paint slowly and carefully so the work can endure, and the portrait is then allowed to honor a presence, capture a spirit, and celebrate the quiet space our pets occupy in our daily lives.