Photo courtesy of Starbucks.
Photo courtesy of Starbucks.
In celebration of International Women’s Month, Starbucks Philippines invites Filipino artists to showcase their passions, and how the next generation of artists can find their own
Starbucks Philippines marries its celebrations for Philippine artistry and International Women’s Month by spotlighting the artists who utilize their creative spirit beyond the canvas. For the brand’s #StrongLikeCoffee Fireside Chat, senior manager of marketing, digital and social impact Jamie Silva of Starbucks Philippines hosts artists Anina Rubio, Aze Ong, Tara Soriano, and Alab Pagarigan as they fill the room with a conversation driven by their inspirations, the works that defined their passions, and the heirlooms they wish to impart for the next generation.
Situated within the communal spaces of Starbucks’ Abad Santos Tondo Community Store, the panel conversation also focuses on inspiring the students from the coffee company’s nonprofit partners, namely the Young Focus Foundation, AHA! Learning Center, and Mano Amiga to encourage them in pursuing their creative paths.
“Growing up, there was always a sense of play. You experimented with things or dismantled toys to build something new. And sometimes, when we try to be ‘adults’ about things, we forget that we are still kids at heart,” recalls visual artist Anina Rubio when asked about the roots of her creativity.
Throughout her career, Rubio shared that her underlying passion for the sciences sustained her curiosity while working in the corporate world, evidently becoming an integral aspect of the 39-year-old’s creative signature as well as the very purpose of her mediums of expression.
From her Caja series, which creates bespoke pieces with an eclectic arrangement of upcycled fabrics, to countless murals that blend flora and fauna with symbolisms of community and environmentalism, her work later saw its messages resonate with that of the Seattle-founded coffee brand’s own, collaborating for a mural in the very branch that staged their conversation in Tondo, Manila.
“With every piece that I put out there, the message I want to convey is to bring people back closer to nature and themselves, holding space for the audience to relate to that piece based on their personal experiences,” she expounds.
For contemporary artist Aze Ong, centering her creative language in woven fibers came naturally through her exposure within her mother’s textile business. Despite the challenges that befell her medium’s reputation during the earlier scenes of art and sculptural work, her persistence later caught the eye of enthusiasts and scholars abroad, bolstering the Laguna-native’s career in installation and performance art.
Today, Ong ventures across Metro Manila providing insight for her solo exhibitions while captivating more through her installations, one of which being situated in the Starbucks Reserve Hiraya store in Tagaytay City.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to comprehend something at first because it’s something new. And when it is, the challenge is there for you to naturally make others see that there is something there,” she expresses.
“Doing murals for other people is basically like a dance, it’s a relationship where two individuals have that back and forth and a nice collaboration because it celebrates everybody’s individuality,” multimedia artist Tara Soriano explains.
Whether that is depicting her interpretations of growth and potential through literature and coffee within Starbucks’ 2nd community store in Maysilo, Mandaluyong, to creating a life-sized welded sculpture of a horse named “Tommy,” Soriano emphasizes how she relishes the challenge of blending her narratives with that of another.
And amid the numerous acronym-structured idioms she shared during their conversation, the creative shares that her definitive message is for the next generation to embrace their curiosity no matter the medium. “You shouldn’t box yourself in. Keep an open mind and encourage others to just try, collaborate, explore, and you’ll see what sparks your soul.”
Despite growing up with illustrative mediums through the lessons he shared with his father, Alab Pagarigan shares that his mother was the one who encouraged his explorative nature. Now, with brass and copper wire as his primary material, the sculptor has depicted the various interactions and connections that bridge people together through his work.
“Why I chose those materials was mainly to showcase their strength, and given that they’re basically lifetime materials, I also get to tell an underlying narrative of stability over time,” the sculptor shares as he described his intention of using brass and copper for his installation within the Starbucks Shangri-La The Fort Ave. in Taguig City.
With his mother and wife as his sources of inspiration, Pagarigan continues to create pieces that invoke a sense of empowerment, letting his many hallowed creations be an invitation for others to reflect on themselves.
And in highlighting the artists who reflect the coffee company’s values for connection and empowerment, the decade-spanning coffee brand wishes to let their works serve as an heirloom for the next generation. On the same day, Starbucks released a collection of notecards which features the unique artworks from the featured artists.
Sold within the brand’s community stores in Tondo, Manila, and Mandaluyong City, the brand pledges that portion of the proceeds go directly to its partners in AHA! Learning Center, Young Focus, and Mano Amiga to give more children the opportunity to receive proper education.
“This International Women’s Month, we celebrate those who uplift and inspire,” said Jamie Silva. “By bringing together Filipino artists and youth from our Community Store nonprofit partners, we’ve created a space for dialogue and empowerment. We believe that art, like coffee, connects us, sparks creativity, and inspires positive change.” This commitment will continue through youth art workshops, reinforcing Starbucks’ dedication to youth education.
Visit the Starbucks Community Stores in Abad Santos, Tondo, Manila and Maysilo Circle in Mandaluyong City to learn more about youth empowerment programs, and visit the Starbucks Instagram and Facebook pages for more upcoming projects.
