Pongbayog is a self-taught p contemporary artist who started from humble
beginnings. Inspired by his father’s dreams of becoming an artist, the young Pongbayog used to sell water to every house in their cunning neighborhood in Polomolok, South Cotabato, a province in Southern Philippines, so that he can save enough funds for art materials. During his free time in his teenage years, he also used to scour the library for books about Renaissance artists - Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael, etc. - and this led him to a peculiar fascination with human anatomy, a signature subject of Pongbayog’s work. His interminable yearning for learning and mastering his art led him to Marrie Saplad, who became his mentee and eventually his wife He is known as an excellent figurative painter who uses mostly black, white and grey colors in his artworks. Today, Pongbayog’s works has been mainly showcased in exhibits (virtual and physical) in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. . His work has also been offered at auction multiple times, and is now one of the most promising Filipino contemporary artists.