The Department of Trade and Industry tasked arts & crafts store Common Room to create bright and youthful Filipino souvenirs  for their souvenir store Go Lokal. The theme was “The Philippines through your eyes” and I was among the 16 artists tapped for the project. 

My design is an homage to a beloved Filipino folk song called “Bahay Kubo” (“Nipa Hut”) which refers to a rural house built of palm leaves & bamboo poles. The song is known for lyrics that playfully enumerate a variety of plants & produce surrounding a family’s tiny hut. I believe this to be reflective of how the Filipino, with what little resources we may have as a developing nation, can stay afloat while making the most of whatever is available to us.

Design-wise I thought it would be a visual treat to show a colorful, bountiful veggie feast surrounding the humble quarters that a typical rural Filipino family calls home. I also thought that application of the artwork on everyday stationery such as postcards and notebooks would allow the consumer to celebrate Filpino culture any and every time.

*Available at Go Lokal Stores at Kiss and Fly (NAIA3), DTI Buendia Showroom, and Glorietta 2.

* I post most frequently on Instagram, so for a sneak peek at the latest projects (that might take a while to land here), feel free to follow along there! 😉