Everywhereis noisy.
The outsideworld is buzzing with the scare of the virus, the Omicron surge, and just theregular chaotic humdrum of human life. Inside, we fill our homes with so manydistractions to keep us from wanting to go out because pandemic quarantine justgot even realer. Our phones and laptops are not any quieter, filled with somuch stuff going on our social media, our messaging apps, and our daily news andentertainment sources. And inside our heads? It’s just pure chaos.
So where dowe turn to for a bit of quiet and peace?
Untitled, 2017Sofia is aManila-based graphic designer who creates beautiful custom collage portraitsthat will create nostalgic moments for you and your family and Zen posters thatyou can hang around your home when you need to be grounded—among other things,of course. But where does her unique style and aesthetic come from? Sofia saidit all started with magazines and Friendster.
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Sofia is a Manila-based graphic designer“Iwas in high school when I learned how to use Photoshop and Friendster. I’d liketo think that that’s what started it all—that and my magazine collections whichwere mostly hand-me-downs from my sister,” said Sofia. “I kept scrapbooks andvisual journals where I’d gather pictures, articles and quotes that spoke tome. I guess I’ve always been a pictures-and-words type of person and that wasprobably already hinting at my future in graphic design.”
Sofiastarted posting her collages on Friendster until one day, a friend from school askedher to design her 18th birthday invites. “That was my first design gig ever,”said Sofia. And it definitely was the first of what will turn out to be a lifetimeof design.
Justlike every young and creative soul, Sofia has been to different places andworked for different companies before she finally zeroed into her creativerealm. Although she has always wanted to be in the fashion world, the world ofgraphic design more than opened its arms to her, as if calling her into its owndimension. Now, she has her own studio where she offers creative solutions forbusinesses and an array of digital products that include printable art andtemplates.
“I’ve been told that my works look very feminine or ‘girly.’I think exterior-wise, that’s true. I love being a woman.” said Sofia. But morethan pinks and florals and other images and colors associated to femininity, whatSofia’s art conveys is the human existence.
“My works are also a reflection of my sentimentstowards our existence. Even if those sentiments are not always pretty. I guessyou could say my creations speak of human ways and feelings through thefeminine lens,” said Sofia. “As a Filipina and a Manileña, I’m alwayssurrounded by variety and fusion. Sometimes it perplexes me about what my trueidentity is, but I try to absolve myself from this confusion by seeing wherethey could meet and try to marry them in design and art. I guess it’s why myworks are always like a merging of perspectives. It is a meeting of east andwest. It’s feminine, but then it's also a little gritty. It looks retro, but italso references the current. Sometimes it speaks of the metaphysical and themundane at once. At least that’s how I see it.”
Untitled, 2018There is beauty in the irony she weaves in every piece.You’ll find harmony in her collages and serenity in her use of negative space.There is vibrance in the way she uses muted colors and some sort of clarity in herwhimsical images. The aesthetics are both nostalgic and contemporary. Many of her creationsboth invoke thought and quiet, simplicity and complexity.
Collage for Melanie GeorgacopoulousThis level of thoughtfulnessand complexity to her design is also both inward and outward for Sofia. Whileshe channels a lot of her own interpretation of beauty, she is also inspired bythe music branding of the 90s and 2000s, eastern art such as Zen and Sashiko, and—if you can believe it—vintagepropaganda postcards from Vietnam.
“Humans, their stories, and culture—these alsoinspire me. There are lots that we don’t see that says so much about ourselvesand our culture. The little things that we consume, use, or do in our dailylives can shape our environments. I find it fascinating and worth capturing,”says Sofia. And it’s a beautiful sight to behold—and use to decorateboth our digital and physical spaces.
Deck of cards for Mmerci EncoreSofia creates andsells digital products, most of them printable so you can hang in your space asdécor or keep in your collection. There are printable posters, postcards, roomart, labels, and now, custom collage portraits that celebrate the gift offamily.
“I love making them because every piece tells astory of the subject. The colors and the elements are often suggestions by theclients. So technically, I co-create it with them, which I love!” said Sofia.
Custom collage portraitIf you look atit, it capitalizes on nostalgia more than just a trend. Yes, it’s nice todecorate our homes with nostalgic trinkets that remind us of solid, better days.But Sofia’s art does more than just this. It celebrates the beauty of memoriesby helping preserve them, reframe them, and recontextualize them into somethingthat is both personal and contemporary.
You cancommission Sofia to create a digital art, but she can also take care ofprinting and framing so it’s ready to display in your home. But this is what’samazing about her products. Since our laptops and gadgets have also become asort of “home” for our thoughts and everyday work and study lives, you can alsouse her works as your desktop or mobile wallpapers.
Custom collage portraitFor when you needsome extra help grounding or finding peace in your daily grind, her poster on40 Filipino Words to Inspire Zen is also a gem. This digital product is readyto print and contains 40 beautiful Filipino words like buo, sapat, mahalaga,to remind you to pause, take a breath, and tell yourself that you are enough. Sometimes,that’s all we need to do to feel ourselves again.
“I’ve always been drawn to the ways of Zen which inessence is the practice of living with more ease, simplicity, and tranquility. Imade this poster because living in isolation during these times coupled withtech disruption can take a toll on our mental health and we need all thereminders we can get to keep calm and take care of ourselves, beginning withour minds. There is a call to meditate more and I find it easier to do thatwith words,” said Sofia. “The words in the poster are personal to me. Itranslated the words to Filipino because I wanted the poster to have culturaldepth and our language can be really poetic.These days, it’s easier to feel affected by every badnews that reaches us but I believe it’s a calm spirit and a clear mind that inthe end help us come up with the best solutions to our problems.”
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