Kristoffer Ardeña (b. 1976) lives and works between Bacolod (Philippines) and Madrid (Spain). Ardeña contributes to the global movement of neo-tropicality through documentation, production, and writing. His Ghost Painting (cracked category) series surveys the influence of geography and socio-political factors in image and art-making as he paints over re-appropriated Katrina fabric and tarpaulin (materials that have cultural and yet utilitarian significance in the Philippine context). This process forms new images by allowing the conditions in the tropics to intervene and become the ‘ghost painter’ confronting academic painting, which places high regard on the skillful prowess of the human hand.

As a full-tuition scholar, Ardeña received his BFA in Painting and Drawing from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, USA. His works were presented at the centro de Arte Dos de Mayo Museum (Spain), La Conservera Centro de Arte Contemporáneo in Murcia (Spain), Museo Carrillo Gil (Mexico), Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (Indonesia), Ruang Mes 65, and Cemeti Art House (Indonesia). In the Philippines, his works were presented in institutional exhibitions at the Vargas Museum, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. C (Madrid); La Conservera Centro de Arte Contemporáneo in Murcia (Spain). He has also participated in collective projects, among them the 3rd Bucharest Biennale (Romania), 3rd Guangzhou Triennale (China), Konstholl C in Stockholm (Sweden), Caixa Forum in Barcelona and La Casa Encendida in Madrid, MUSAC in León (Spain), Casino Forum d’Art Contemporain (Luxembourg), Apexart in New York (USA), Museo Ex Teresa Arte Actual (Mexico) and the Museo de Arte Moderno in Medellin (Colombia). He is the founder of MILF (Moving Image Lab Filipinas) curatorial platform and the co-founder of Photoma, an initiative on Philippine contemporary photography. Ardeña was featured in international fairs such as ARCOMadrid (Spain), Art Dubai (UAE), SEA Focus (Singapore), and ArtSG (Singapore)