Kinship: Manilamen/Aussies

Lumena Auctions was honoured to present Kinship: Manilamen/Aussies, a curated private sale of fine art and antiques held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Philippines–Australia Business Council (PABC). Staged at the Turf Room of Manila Polo Club on 12 November 2025, the exhibition marked a significant cultural moment—one that brought together collectors, patrons, and members of the diplomatic and business communities in an evening defined by scholarship, connoisseurship, and shared history.

Kinship: Manilamen/Aussies traced a 150-year narrative between the Philippines and Australia through objects of art, memory, and material culture. From early Manilamen entrepreneurs who helped shape Australia’s northern pearling industry, to works reflecting wartime alliance and post-war cooperation, the presentation unfolded as a visual essay on migration, alliance, and enduring people-to-people ties.

At the heart of the exhibition was a celebration of partnership: between nations, between communities, and between history and the present. The exhibition was presented in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Philippines–Australia Business Council, founded in 1975 and long recognised as a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation. In this context, art became a language of diplomacy—complementing economic, educational, and cultural exchange with reflection and meaning.

Lumena Private Sales
Kinship: Manilamen/Aussies
A Philippines–Australia Narrative | Celebrating 50 Years of the PABC
Turf Room, Manila Polo Club
12 November 2025, 5:00–10:00 PM