Senior High School students from the Philippines’ leading design school, SoFA Design Institute experienced mounting their first exhibition with the recently held METRO333 graduation exhibit at the Clubhouse at The Palace Manila, BGC.
The exhibitors, SoFA SHS students Bianca Torres, Icha Logaring, NEV dela Merced, Summer Villaluz, Chaitanya Labayog, Carla Louise Peña, Christine Callahan, Senna Purugganan, and Maximhari Sales showcased works which showed who they are now, and each encapsulating their dream and who they see themselves to be in the future.
Summer Villaluz expressed her gratitude, “This experience helped me grow as a student and as a creator. I grew up not knowing that I can be capable of something like this.
Knowing that SoFA was able to expand my skills, and gave us so many opportunities is something that I’ll always be grateful for,” said Villaluz.
Angelique Castro, SoFA’s SHS principal, enthusiastically shared the positive impact the event could have on the SHS student’s growth and development. “This is an avenue for our students to learn to navigate different perspectives and challenges, strengthening their resilience and adaptability,” said Castro.
“This is the first time that the event was held outside the campus grounds. They had to do everything, from design, to fabrication, even ingress and egress of their works. This exhibit is their first look into the realities of putting up their own show; we hope that they learn something from this experience,” she added.
The exhibitors used several mediums for their works, including traditional oil and watercolor in spray painted works, digital arts, multimedia installations, all serving as the backdrop for their fashion pieces. True to the cyberpunk aesthetics of the show, the installations were a heady mix of retro-futuristic pieces. Many are odes to fashion trends in the 80s up to the early 2000s but with a distinct youthful twist that can only come from the graduates’ generation.
The exhibit was open to the public and counted among its guests several Filipino designers as well as SoFA Design Institute alumni. Amina Aranáz-Alunan, co-founder and president of SoFA Design Institute expressed her excitement for this event. “We are excited to open doors to a world of possibilities, allowing our SHS students’ creativity to shine before a wider audience,” said Aranáz.
“This event is a catalyst that connects young artists and designers with industry professionals, inspiring them to reach new heights of innovation and self-discovery,” added Aranáz.
