Monica’s coffee art

“So young, so gifted!”

CEBU, Philippines - This is the feverish and fiery overall impression of a crowd able to witness the launch of Monica Sylvia Orellano as an exhibiting visual artist. Her very first solo show last May 22 revealed 15 pieces of her works which utilized coffee as a medium.

   The 21-year-old University of San Carlos Fine Arts major in Advertising graduate lent 15 minutes of her precious time that day to share how excited she is about putting up her own studio five years from now. The interview preceded a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of her exhibit at the Malakius Art Kaffe at the third level of J Centre Mall in Mandaue City, attended by her close friends and family, a television program crew, and no less than Cebuana diva Anna Fegi.

   That occasion revealed that not only is Monica a lead dancer of Knapsack (a dance group associated with the ABS-CBN Channel 3 weekly game show “Kapamilya Mas Winner Ka!”); not only is she an event photographer, a proprietor and choreographer of Knapsack Productions, but on top of all her creativities, she is a sultry visual artist. Yes! She resembles the coffee brew: steaming and ardent. The artist in her is definitely on fire!

   She mentioned that she started coffee painting last 2008. One of her friends was having a birthday and that friend was a certified coffee cat and loves to strum the guitar. So she decided to paint a guitar with the use of coffee. From then on, she has taken the habit of giving her works as presents to chums and buddies.

   For five years, she has been painting with coffee and managing to develop a unique technique of layering coffee on a canvas. Her works include paintings of ordinary everyday objects portrayed in the rich hues of the coffee bean.

   Since she has embarked on giving gifts by way of her coffee-driven works which stirred and perked all the more the interests of people surrounding her, they later on urged her to come out loud by presenting her creations to a bigger platform. Thus the birth of her first solo show.

   It is obvious that she got her dancing prowess from her mom, Cinbeth Orellano (former Knapsack dancer), but it is her dad who is most influential when it comes to painting, graphic art/layouting — and music. “I tried to experiment on different genres. I go for relaxing music. Pero mas attracted ko sa reggae,” she mused.

   It is an aspiration to put up an art studio. “It would be nice if I would be able to conduct art classes. There would be a photography studio. And I’m looking at offering dance classes for street kids. That would be an advocacy so I could share to the less fortunate what I’m good at,” she added.

   When asked how prepared she already is to face the criticisms, now that she has already cut through a wedge of that growing community of visual artists in a location as small as Cebu, she marked her answer with the charm of her smile: “Ready na ko. Basta ang ako ana nga mas i-enhance nako ang positive vibes. I-accept nako ang criticisms, maminaw ko kun unsa pay angay i-improve.”

   Believe it or not, this gregarious creature doesn’t have a night life. “Since I belong to the talent pool of ABS-CBN because of a segment of Kapamilya Mas Winner Ka dubbed “Sayaw na Monica,” I spend most of my time improving my craft. Pero if I find the opportunity, I hang out with friends. In fact, we travel even outside of Cebu,” she disclosed.

   She was also quick to acknowledge how inspired she is at the way she has balanced her career and that of nurturing a romantic relationship with a college classmate. “He’s two years older. He’s quite familiar how important my career is to me. He knows pretty well the kind of focus I’m giving it. He understands that the only way I could build my dream studio is to embrace these opportunities wholeheartedly.”

Two of her works are already acquired by broadcast journalist/BANAT News columnist Rico Lucena. “Cycle” (The never-ending cycle of seasons) is a confluence of coffee, charcoal, ink, and mixed media; while “Faith” (An institution to express belief in a divine power) uses hundred-percent coffee. These paintings convey the rich brown tones associated with the beverage, essential in the creation of very beautiful, piping hot images.