Jay Nathan T. Jore
Assistant Professor

Jay Nathan T. Jore (b. 1987, Cebu) is an artist, curator, and art historian whose practice explores the intersections of culture, contemporary creative practices, and queer life. He is currently Assistant Professor of Fine Arts and Design at the University of the Philippines Cebu, where he has served as curator and director of the Joya Gallery (2018–2023), coordinator of the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (2020–present), and coordinator of the UP Cebu Design Program (2024–2026). He earned his BFA from the University of San Carlos and his MA in Art Studies (Art Theory and Criticism) from UP Diliman, completing a thesis on Cebuano muralist Raymundo Francia and his ceiling paintings in Cebu and Bohol’s heritage churches.

Jore’s artistic work teases out the complexities of queer life—its histories, struggles, and influence on contemporary Philippine society. He often foregrounds the narratives of the Bisaya bayot, expanding underrepresented accounts within Filipino queer culture. In 2022, he presented his solo exhibition Veneered Desires at Qube Gallery, which explored queer identity, cultural heritage, and aspirations for social progress. He also initiated Descendants, a pioneering project in Cebu that created a national platform for queer artists through exhibitions, public programs, and collaborative formats.

As a curator and researcher, Jore examines vernacularity in art and design and frames his work within decolonial perspectives. His exhibition Humble Objects: Vernacularity and the Aesthetics of the Everyday in Cebu’s Contemporary Design investigated market furniture in downtown Cebu and questioned the systems of value and discourse shaping contemporary design practices. His curatorial project Duyan ang Kadagatan: Cebuano Culture and the Heritage of the Sea focused on how bodies of water shape the communal life of fisherfolk, drawing attention to an often-overlooked aspect of Cebuano culture. He has also organized exhibitions for the Vargas Museum, the Kabilin Center of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., the Cebu City Historical Affairs Commission, the Arts Council of Cebu and the Visayas, and the Tubô Cebu Art Fairs. Under his leadership, UP Cebu launched the Museum of Art and Culture, dedicated to preserving and promoting the creative traditions of Cebu and its neighboring islands.

Beyond his curatorial and artistic work, Jore has published essays and articles on Cebuano art, design, and cultural heritage. He is one of the authors of Bantugang Sugbuanon, a landmark publication on Cebu’s important artists, and in 2023 he wrote the biography of realist painter Florentino Impas in the monograph Pangandoy. His ongoing research and writing continue to bridge art and design history, queer studies, and cultural practice in the Visayas.