For Vincent Dwight Paulo, a Grade 12 student from Nueva Ecija, the proverb that necessity is the mother of invention holds true.
With the world reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the young artist did not let his lack of paint or pencils to stop him from creating art.
Vincent used banana catsup to draw portraits of famous personalities while staying at home during the community quarantine.
While he first dabbled with a catsup portrait in 2018, it was during the lockdown when he really started honing his unique art skill.
“I really engaged myself in doing catsup art since school and art supplies shops were closed,” he said.
“I was running out of materials, so I used catsup instead," Vincent added.
Catsup was not his first medium, but it was the one within reach at home that led to portraits of celebrities that have become popular on social media, including those of Liza Soberano, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Taylor Swift, and One Direction.
“I really loved catsup because it is readily available inside the house,” Vincent said.
“I really love exploring and trying other mediums just to try something new. I don’t like to stick to the conventional and typical artworks that we see.”
Vincent primarily uses UFC Banana Catsup as it is his family’s favorite catsup brand at home.
“It’s always what’s in our kitchen, and we really like fried foods dipped in UFC Banana Catsup because of its tamis-anghang taste,” he said.
“I don’t want to try other brands for my art because I’m already used to UFC.”
As a token of recognition for Vincent’s astounding creativity and resourcefulness, NutriAsia sent him and his family more products for their use—whether it’s for food or for more of Vincent’s art.
Vincent, who dreams of taking up architecture in college, urged fellow young artists and creatives to be resourceful.
“Being more creative and resourceful really is my objective. Painting does not stop if you don’t have art materials,” he said.
“Alternative materials are everywhere; you just have to explore. If you could think of some other materials than those usually used in making art, that would be great.”