Life according to Manuel Ocampo

MANUEL OCAMPO COMPARES his mind on a good day to Manila traffic on a bad day - congested and chaotic. But that mental turmoil lends itself to his provocative art, which draws on any point of reference - political, historical, social, personal - to make sly and ironic statements about the world we live in.

Ocampo is one of the most international artists to emerge from the Philippines, having first gained notoriety for having his paintings pulled out of the prestigious art show Documenta in Germany in 1992. The reason? Four of his five canvases bore images of the Nazi swastika symbol amid other images of skulls, religious figures and punk iconography. The organisers were concerned about the resurgence of neo-Nazis in the country. And the fact that Ocampo had used the swastika to highlight social ills was too boldfaced to accept.

Since the 1990s, however, Ocampo has garnered glowing critical reviews and international awards. His works have been displayed and collected by the world's top museums including Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.