Studio note 01
Attention first
“I paint what moves me. Gratitude is the method: attention first, then the brush.”
From the artist's account
John
Pabrua
Watercolor · Drawing · Graphic design
“It moves me. It brings me joy. So I paint it.”John Pabrua
Explore the work02 / Selected works
The painting is the room.
All works ↗
03 / The artist
Attention first, then the brush.
John Pabrua came to painting through drawing and graphic design — deciding what a page says before deciding how it looks. Watercolor kept the drawing and loosened the hand.
The work is experimental by temperament: pigment is allowed to move, edges are allowed to fail, and the paper is allowed to have an opinion. What stays constant is the subject — everyday Filipino life, ordinary things looked at long enough to become worth the paper.
“I paint what moves me. Gratitude is the method: attention first, then the brush.”
Professional affiliations
Member, Watercolor Society of Cebu (WSC).
Artist affiliation only. Membership does not imply WSC endorsement, certification or sponsorship of this website.
04 / Exhibitions
Records, not announcements.
All records ↗2026
Dates verifiedEvent dates + venue: publicly verified · participation: artist-supplied
TOPS ArtFest 2026
TOPS Cebu · Cebu Transcentral Highway, Busay, Cebu City
Affiliation · Member, Watercolor Society of Cebu (WSC)
Theme: Building & Breaking Norms
Event record ↗2026
Exact dates pendingGallery location: publicly verified · schedule + participation: artist-supplied
Watercolor Society of Cebu — 1st Annual Exhibition & Competition
Kyurēto Art Gallery · Level 2, SM J Mall, Mandaue City
Affiliation · Member, Watercolor Society of Cebu (WSC)
Event record ↗What an exhibition record contains
Dates, venue, works shown and the source that verifies the record. Organizer information and artist-supplied participation are labelled separately; a detail page exists only for a record that has been published here.
05 / Journal
Notes from the practice.
Studio note 02
The paper has an opinion
Pigment is allowed to move, edges are allowed to fail, and the paper is allowed to have a say.
From the artist's account
Studio note 03
The ordinary
Everyday Filipino life — ordinary things looked at long enough to become worth the paper.
From the artist's account
06 / Inquire
For collectors, curators, galleries.
For available works, exhibitions, commissions and collaborations, write to @artofjuan. Include the work or project you are asking about.