PH Ambassador Welcomes First Filipina Artist-in-Residence at Joshibi University of Art and Design
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (3rd from left) receives Filipina artist and scholar Ms. Arvi Fetalvero (3rd from right), accompanied by representatives of Joshibi University of Art and Design, namely, Professor Teiko HINUMA (2nd from left) and Ms. Makiko TSUJI (2nd from right), during the latter’s courtesy call on 15 September 2026.
TOKYO, 18 September 2026 – Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano welcomed Filipina artist and scholar Ms. Arvi Fetalvero, alongside Professor Teiko HINUMA and Ms. Makiko TSUJI of the Joshibi University of Art and Design, during a courtesy call at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo on 15 September 2026.
Founded in 1900, Joshibi University of Art and Design is a prestigious private women’s art institution with campuses in Suginami, Tokyo, and Sagamihara, Kanagawa. The University recently formalized an academic exchange agreement with the Asia Pacific College (APC) in the Philippines. Under this landmark partnership, Ms. Fetalvero, an APC alumna, was chosen as the first-ever Filipina participant in Joshibi University’s Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program.
The AIR program will grant Ms. Fetalvero a unique opportunity to refine her visual arts skills under the direct mentorship of Joshibi University’s faculty. Her three-month residency will culminate in a highly-anticipated art exhibition in November 2026.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano congratulated Ms. Fetalvero on her historic selection and expressed her deep gratitude to Joshibi University for its vital role in nurturing Filipina talent, as well as in strengthening cultural exchanges between the Philippines and Japan, especially in the field of visual arts.
“There is a heightened sense of awareness and curiosity surrounding the intersection of Philippine and Japanese arts and culture,” Ambassador Garcia-Albano noted. She also expressed strong enthusiasm for future collaborations with the university, particularly on initiatives dedicated to empowering and supporting female Filipino artists on the global stage and in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Philippines-Japan Friendship in 2026.
