Secret Fresh + Quiccs | The Killa in Manila

11.04.2019 – The success of the “Manila Killa” show gives you the perspective that hard work pays off at the same time staying humble and being true to who you are from the start. The recipe to a successful street artist like Quiccs can attest of that and the long process was almost five years in the making. Quiccs Maquez has made it and had put the country in the map taking the next level as an international toy designer and building the Bullet Punk brand to its prominence is not a small feat. But teamwork behind the man and the TEQ63 is no one-man show that can be seen to yesterday’s first solo art show that he already made it.

For the true fans who followed Quiccs from his days as one of the Street Artists for Manila Street Plan to the man who put the Philippine Art Toy culture scene as what it is today is something to aspire from. He started as a graffiti artist painting walls to developing the most successful art toys to come out of the country, the TEQ63.

The origins of TEQ63 goes back to the early 2010s as a prototype 8-Ball head with a hoodie and adidas sneakers clearly as hip hop music as one of the influences and being a fan of Gundam anime as well as Japanese culture you got a recipe for something big in the horizon with this art toy. The name itself has its origins and concepts that put two words in “TEQ”, which is a slang word for technology while the number “63” was the area code in the Philippines.







Quiccs along with his fellow PSP mates put together Hidden Fortress, the studio that was originally a physical store based underneath Ronac Art Center. For the short lived hangout place it featured prototypes of the TEQ63 as a 3-inch figurine with an articulated head as well as other side project and collaborations with fellow artists.

The first TEQ63 was made in resin and no taller than 3-4 inches, which stayed true to its pose in a hoodie. There were also variations that is seated, but that stayed limited as sold through Secret Fresh as well as those he would build contacts in putting together what you see today. Though I’ve been a long-time fan of his works, even before TEQ63 was born I already foreseen the potential of the art toy.



Though collaboration with Martian Toys, TEQ63 would reach heights no other art toy in the Philippines can become. His first Solo Art Show was an immediate sold out as two of the four paintings he worked on were already been reserved. The release for the “Manila Killa” with metallic colors as a set was sold through lottery during Sunday morning that had a huge turnout.

There was also an auction event that was considered “Crazy” and “Wild” by most online bidders from the Philippines who got in the event had deeper pockets to spend as high as $2,000.00 USD for an art toy shows Quiccs’ Bullet Punk brand is something to follow for those artists to evolve in bringing their version of an art toy is clearly legendary in so many levels.

THEN & NOW. 2014 Trooper Dunny (Resin) & 2018 Nano TEQ 'McDo' Colorway with TEQ63 Baller by PinoyLUG. 

At the same time his collaboration with Sket One with his exclusive TEQ63 at Complex Con edition being sold in Los Angeles is something collectors in the country would also want as the value of his art toys doesn’t diminish its value. The weekend was certainly dominated by the Killa in Manila.

“Manila Killa” a Solo Art Show featuring Quiccs runs from 3-14 November 2019 at the Secret Fresh main gallery. For upcoming shows follow Secret Fresh on Social Media via Facebook and Instagram!