The 8-year-old Filipino artist who reached the stars

MANILA, Philippines – Alexander Maverick Racca Malunes sits at a desk in his classroom, pencils and acrylics scattered around him. At eight years old, he works with a focus most adults would envy. 

Known in the art world as BAP-K!, short for Batang Artist Pang-Kalawakan (Child Artist-Space), Maverick is coloring inside the lines just as he is imagining cities on the moon.

On March 8, 2026, his vision was recognized across the Asia-Pacific. In a global online ceremony, Maverick’s artwork “Welcome to the Lunar City! The Concept of Rocket Capsule House” was named Poster of the Year at the 31st Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-31). 

With this win, he became the first Filipino child artist to claim the honor.

The 2025 competition, themed “Lunar City,” attracted a record-breaking 5,431 entries from 15 countries, including Japan, China, Australia, India, and South Korea. 

Out of 4,459 votes cast – the highest in the contest’s history – Maverick’s colorful, detailed depiction of a lunar colony captured the imagination of judges and voters alike. Rockets-shaped homes, solar-powered rovers, and children exploring a futuristic, sustainable settlement emerge from the page, each stroke brimming with curiosity and joy.

From national champ to global stage

Maverick’s rise began at home. A 2nd grader in the Special Science Program at Las Piñas Elementary School Central, he first turned heads in 2025 when he won 1st place in the Philippine Space Agency’s (PhilSA) #YamangKalawakan National Poster-Making Contest, along with the PhilSA Crewmates’ Choice Award. 

He was seven years old when Maverick became the youngest champion of that national poster contest 2025, a feat that spoke about his talent and dedication even at an early age.

By sweeping both national awards, Maverick was selected as the country’s representative, competing against 43 other elite young artists from across the Asia-Pacific region at APRSAF-31, hosted in Cebu City, where his work stood out for its inventiveness and heart, winning the admiration of judges and voters alike.

His recent international win was only the latest in a series of achievements for Maverick. In 2024, he topped the “Our National Heroes in Canvas” National Art Competition. A year earlier, he ranked third in the spacecrafts and rockets category in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Worldwide Children’s Artwork Competition among children ages 4 to 6. – Rappler.com