As community quarantine protocols keep people at home for their safety, many young Filipinos spend their time honing their skills and creativity, finding ways to express themselves despite the lockdown.
With all this free time on their hands, some are able go the extra mile when it comes to being creative.
This was certainly the case for 19-year-old communication student Thea Sophia Disabelle, a native of Bantayan Island, Cebu, who stirred buzz on the internet after creating art using an unlikely medium: soy sauce.
The very same soy sauce one would ordinarily see in kitchens has allowed her to express her creativity.
“It all started when I poured a little amount of soy sauce into a saucer, since I needed it for my fried fish,” said Thea, who made her first soy sauce artwork in March using Silver Swan Soy Sauce, a staple in her family' pantry.
“After that, I paused for three seconds while staring at it—something was beautifully formed. After I had my breakfast that day, I asked myself, ‘Why not make art using soy sauce?’”
While Thea always had access to Silver Swan Soy Sauce as it was her family’s preferred brand, it would take her a few more months to produce her very first soy sauce artwork.
“I posted it on Facebook and didn't expect to get many likes, comments and shares,” she said.
“Fortunately, it really went viral and I was so overwhelmed," Thea added.
Although Thea also creates art using traditional medium such as paint, pastels, and pencils, she likes the convenience that soy sauce allows, recommending it to artists who may be facing challenges getting art materials during the quarantine period.
Silver Swan Soy Sauce, made of high-quality soybeans, also provides artists a unique texture to work with.
“The texture looks so cool after a while,” she said.
“Artists just need soy sauce, a large plate, and imagination. It's tricky to do this kind of artwork because one wrong move, you'll have to start all over again. It might be an ephemeral artwork but it's worth the effort.”
As a token of recognition for Thea’s astounding creativity and resourcefulness, NutriAsia, makers of Silver Swan, will be sending her and her family more of their products for their use—whether it is for cooking food or for more of Thea’s art.