Photographed by Lorenzo Corro
Starting off 2026 with a collaboration blending art and technology, IQOS taps visual artist Isabel Santos to show how curiosity evolves on canvas
It all began at the table, with a gastronomic experience shaped by detail. Those same sensorial cues were then translated into sculptural works. How does curiosity shift when the medium changes? For IQOS, this progression reflects how ideas evolve through different forms, often through collaborations.
As the Curious X series moves into 2026, the brand continues its work with the creative community through contemporary art, using technology and curiosity as a framework for rethinking what’s familiar. Held in RCBC Plaza, IQOS partnered with visual artist Isabel Santos, unveiling “A Movement and A Goal,” a rhythmic display of acrylic streams shaped around the question: how does curiosity take form?
For Santos, this collaboration takes a distinct shift from her usual method of blending various textiles, pictograms, and 1940s pop culture. “I already started working on drips, and more of an abstract look to my work,” says Santos, referencing how these same techniques became the main expression in creating her final piece with IQOS.
“This collaboration brings that shared curiosity into everyday forms, objects that people can see, interact with, and relate to,” shares brand manager Henry Yap. “Isabel translated that idea into works that move across different formats, showing how curiosity can take shape in subtle and unexpected ways.”
Part of IQOS’ “Forever Curious” campaign, this partnership marks the first chapter of the brand’s collaborative series for 2026. Beyond Santos’ main art piece, the event also showcased an ensemble of everyday essentials, ranging from tote bags, bag tags, mini carryalls, and a magnetic snap wallet. “What drew me to this collaboration with IQOS is that we share the same vision,” says Santos. “What if we breathed differently? What if art could move with you, be carried, be used, be part of the everyday? Together, curiosity became something tangible because when we choose curiosity, there is no limit to what we can create or who we can become.”
Created using large streaks of thickened acrylic paints, Santos overlaps hues of teal, aqua, and deep green with a looser grip than she’s used to. For the visual artist, allowing her curiosities to take over enabled her to fully embrace the dynamic yet reflective nature of her practice.
The event itself came in two parts: A course dinner situated within the Yuchengco Museum’s gallery of local artworks, and an after-party featuring DJs HOEST, Margáchi, and Arthur Tan. Guests were also encouraged to have their IQOS devices detailed with a fragment of Santos’s larger work, along with custom stick holder printing to complete the set.
“Seeing the guests being able to interact with the art and getting a piece from the collection was a sight to see. Everyone has different interpretations of what curiosity could mean for them, and I feel like that’s the whole spirit of the campaign,” says Yap.
Watch “In Conversation with Artist Isabel Santos and Henry Yap on Curiosity and the Canvas” on the Vogue Philippines YouTube channel.
Experience the IQOS x Isabel Santos collaboration by visiting the IQOS website, and in-store at Ayala Malls Glorietta 3, Bonifacio Global City, or SM Mall of Asia.
