Jesse Esplana

Jesse Esplana is a self-taught visual artist, social media influencer and chef consultant and farm owner of Esplana integrated community farm. The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) endowed him Magsasaka Siyentista in 2023. Likewise, he received Farmers Information and Technology Service (FITS) in goat farming from the Provincial Agriculture in Marinduque.

He is the current Chairperson of I Love Sta Cruz Marinduque, champion of Marinduque creative industry and also an educator in agriculture and visual art. Recipient of 2023 Gawad Likhai Award for traditional painting and an official delegate in Philippine Visual Art Federation in 2018. Esplana is a co-founder of Freedom Art Society. He is also a activity in Luna’s Care fundraising for cancer warrior foundation since 2017. More recently, last April 7, 2025 Jesse is involved with artful hands for heart and open heart fundraising dinner at Primea Makati, Philippines.

Esplana is from the island province of Marinduque, heart-shaped and geodetic center of the Philippine archipelago. Tatler Philippines wrote, “he is self-taught in his craft, and finds inspiration from music, poetry and films. Esplana is also inspired by the masters he admires, particularly Amadeo Modigliani and Paul Gauguin. The narratives of his works are expressive as they are abstract and surreal. Aside from exhibitions, he has also won several national art competitions and was shortlisted for the Philippine Art Awards in 2017 and 2018.”

Reynaldo De la Peña have reviewed Jesse’s Uninhibited exhibit. According to the article, “his art narrate us his simple contemporary world as a chef; see his painting of hanged pork in a slaughter house, a series of cup of coffee; usually rendered in missy table an shaving an impression of canvases with patches and stain bloods of meat, chopped ingredients like onions and garlic splattered well.”