About Bintana

From Japan to the Himalayas, Bintana is now establishing its roots in the Philippines. 

Spearheaded by Master Art Conservator Ephraim Jose, Bintana brings a fusion of Western & Japanese style conservation techniques to the forefront of Philippine art & heritage. 

The primary areas of expertise of the center include paintings on paper and fabric from China, Japan, and Korea; Himalayan thangkas and the Philippines. We provide services for storage, handling, and display of private collections and institutions, and framing and mounting services.

Bintana is a project decades in the making, founded with a mission to introduce proper conservation techniques and materials that have been proven scientifically to benefit artworks. The conservation program hopes to produce a batch of Filipino conservators and help create employment for the youth. After a 2-year delay due to the pandemic, the center is fully running and open for its first intake of students this 2023 in partnership with De La Salle University - Dasmariñas.

Frequently asked questions

  • We restore Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Himalayan thangkas—folding screens, hanging scrolls, hand scrolls, woodblock prints, books, maps, documents, drawings, vintage posters, letras y figuras, miniature paintings on cloth and paper.

  • Yes, but please inquire at info@bintana.org.

  • It all depends, good restoration cannot be rushed. Head conservator Eddie Jose has been restoring art for 40 years, and each piece is different and unpredictable; you won't know what's underneath until you start working on it. We let the material rest in between the restoration process, especially if it’s paper, to avoid further stress and damage to the artwork.

  • Bintana can bring its art conservation services to your doorstep. Please contact us at info@bintana.org for inquiries.

  • We will hold weekend workshops on paper conservation techniques as needed.