AUPEN founder Nicholas Tan’s first solo art exhibition at 125 Projects brings the visual language of his accessories into sculpture, installation, canvas, and text.
We were invited to the exclusive opening of AUPEN founder Nicholas Tan’s first solo art exhibition at 125 Projects in Manila on 18 August 2026, and stepping inside felt like watching his creative vision come to life. The entire space was wrapped in a rich shade of purple patterned with Tan’s distinctive geometric shapes, a color he shared was inspired by a moment in the past when he dyed his hair purple. For Tan, the color serves as a personal reminder to embrace individuality, break away from routine, and simply enjoy the process. That playful energy was apparent from the moment we entered, where a deep purple, hand-painted gourd decorated with white geometric outlines stood near the entrance, an intimate nod to a piece Tan found at his grandmother’s home when he was starting AUPEN three years ago. Displayed beside it were variations of the AUPEN Purpose, including the Tweed Sakura in calfskin leather, Tweed Blue in calfskin leather, and Velvet Noir in calfskin leather.
Nicholas Tan Extends AUPEN Into Contemporary Art
The opening brought together members of the media, influencers, creatives, and guests for the first look at Tan’s exhibition and designer pop-up at 125 Projects, NBS Park in Mandaluyong City. Known for founding AUPEN, Tan extends the sculptural language developed through his accessories into sculpture, canvas, and text. Rather than leaving fashion behind, the exhibition collapses the boundaries between fashion, design, and contemporary art, exploring what happens when an artist’s way of seeing is freed from the function of making products.
At the center of the exhibition is a recurring shape derived from the silhouette of the Purpose bag, designed by Tan and carried by Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Hailey Bieber, and Olivia Rodrigo. Removed from the object it once defined, the silhouette appears throughout the exhibition in different forms. The exhibition asks what remains when an object is stripped of its function and whether a shape originally designed to be carried can acquire another life as sculpture, symbol, or memory. It marks the beginning of Tan’s practice as a contemporary artist, extending a language first developed through fashion into sculpture, installation, and text.
Tan’s multidisciplinary background informs this practice. He studied Biology at Harvard University, earning a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, where he conducted and published scientific research. He was also a former national swimmer for Singapore and has collaborated with LVMH Métiers d’Art. In 2022, he founded AUPEN, an independent accessories brand recognized for its sculptural silhouettes.
A Gallery Drenched in Purple
On the right side of the main room, a bold visual display immediately drew attention. A geometric neon frame with the phrase “I wish I dared to” glowed in vivid pink and purple against the wall. Nearby stood a towering lattice sculpture of the Eiffel Tower, crafted in purple-coated metal and topped with a geometric flag, while beside it was a cracked wooden heart sculpture painted in purple and inscribed with raw, handwritten notes, including “I thought you broke my heart but you showed me the cracs already there”. Anchoring the wall was a neat 3×3 grid of square fabric prints featuring geometric patterns shaped like top hats, a lighthearted motif Tan noted serves as a reminder that whenever he catches himself overthinking or over-intellectualizing, he simply needs to put on a big hat, go with the flow, and have fun.
The Manila-Exclusive AUPEN Nirvana
Further inside, we discovered the exclusive Manila variations of the AUPEN Nirvana. Among the highlights was the dazzling Nirvana Violet Ice, completely covered in purple rhinestones, alongside Untitled (Artist Signed Nirvana Bag), a Manila-exclusive piece signed by Tan. The Nirvana’s distinctive asymmetrical silhouette also connects to the geometric language repeated throughout the gallery. The handbag remains an important part of the exhibition, while its silhouette appears in other materials, settings, and forms. This relationship reflects the exhibition’s central idea of considering what happens to a familiar form when it is separated from its original function.
When the Bag Becomes a Shape
The same idea continues through the asymmetrical white-framed artworks lining the gallery walls. The purple-and-white graphic prints showcase different iterations of AUPEN’s signature asymmetrical shapes, including a recurring pattern resembling the organic silhouette of the Lumière Seed, a bag charm that also appeared on the Nirvana bag displayed in the exhibition. Opposite these artworks hangs a large, empty ornate purple frame built around the same unmistakable angled geometry.
The repeated shapes allow forms first encountered on an accessory to appear again as prints, frames, sculpture, and installation. Familiar AUPEN shapes remain recognizable, while their presentation encourages visitors to consider them outside the usual context of a handbag. These transitions bring Tan’s work in fashion and his emerging practice in contemporary art into the same visual conversation.
Classical Statues Get a Playful Spin
In the same room, classical statues received a clever twist. A white replica of the Venus de Milo was draped in a purple geometric bandeau, while Michelangelo’s David casually held a pair of matching swim trunks. Guests could also participate through an interactive carnival-style game, where landing a small purple hoop onto the sculptures earned a free bag charm.
The idea was inspired by Tan’s own reflections on his time at Harvard and his wish that he had spent less time buried in studies and more time simply having fun. The game gave guests an opportunity to interact with the exhibition while bringing another playful element into Tan’s presentation.
Nicholas Tan Paints the Nirvana Silhouette
Toward the end of the opening, Tan added another unexpected element to the exhibition when he took a can of purple spray paint and painted directly onto one of the gallery walls, creating an asymmetrical shape that echoed the silhouette of his iconic AUPEN Nirvana bag. The shape had already appeared in different forms throughout the exhibition, and Tan’s spontaneous gesture brought that recurring silhouette back to the wall in a new way.
The moment reinforced the connection between the exhibition and the objects that inspired it. The Nirvana was not simply displayed as a finished handbag. Its silhouette became a recurring part of the exhibition, appearing across fashion, graphic imagery, sculpture, installation, and, ultimately, the wall itself.
Nicholas Tan’s First Solo Art Exhibition in Manila
Tan’s first solo exhibition at 125 Projects marks the beginning of his practice as a contemporary artist, extending a language first developed through fashion into sculpture, installation, canvas, and text. The exhibition does not position contemporary art as a departure from AUPEN. Instead, it explores what happens when Tan’s way of seeing is freed from the practical function of making products, allowing the forms and ideas developed through his accessories to take on other possibilities.
For 125 Projects, the exhibition also reflects its desire to foster new modes and intersectional approaches to art-making. For Tan, it provides a setting where the visual language developed through AUPEN can stretch beyond the accessories themselves while remaining connected to them.
Nicholas Tan’s first solo exhibition and designer pop-up is open to the public from 18 to 30 August 2026 at 125 Projects, NBS Park, 125 Pioneer Street, Mandaluyong City.
For us, the opening ended with two particularly memorable takeaways. We were delighted to get our hands on an AUPEN Nirvana, the style carried by Taylor Swift, bringing home one of the silhouettes closely associated with AUPEN. The evening also brought home a Parallel Hearts Gold Charm, won after successfully landing the small purple hoop during the exhibition’s carnival-style game.
Between the purple rhinestones, geometric sculptures, playful classical references, personal memories, and one freshly spray-painted wall, the exhibition showed just how far a familiar AUPEN silhouette can travel once it is no longer confined to the bag.
