Vanessa Joyce Tria is a 23-year-old self-taught artist based in Manila who studied Civil Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas.
As someone who was surrounded by math and sciences, she found herself joining organizations where she can express her creativity. She also started painting on blank canvases using acrylics and oils.
After passing the licensure examination in November 2018, Vanessa started practicing her profession as a civil engineer. But because of the pandemic, she decided to take a leave from work.
Photo from Vanessa Tria
Taking a leave from work was a decision that took a toll on Vanessa’s mental health. However, she took it as an opportunity to bring back her first love, which is creating art.
According to Vanessa, she sometimes feels insecure about her works, especially upon seeing other artists’ masterpieces, and that it took her a short while to love her own works. “I believed that art in every form is beautiful; it is also a wonder to see these differently.
I trusted myself and started my journey as a true artist,” she said.
Photo from Vanessa Tria
As she continued to work on her art, Vanessa found Art Show Philippines, an online platform for showcasing the finest Filipino artworks including the works of starting artists. With this platform, she was able to bring the best out of herself and continuously painted her feelings on a canvas.
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Vanessa started incorporating her love for pugs in her paintings, reimagining the breed in some of the most famous and well-known paintings in the world. With pugs being a breed that is loved by many, she wanted to create something ‘familiar yet different.
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Photo from Vanessa Tria
Even the names of her artworks are parodies of the famous paintings it was inspired by. Some of her artworks include Monalipug, a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, and Puggified, a parody of Edward Munch’s The Scream.
Her pieces are also a reminder for pet owners to treasure their dogs, whatever breed they may be, and treat them as your family. “Time may come that they would be gone, but wonderful memories stay forever. Just like the old masters, they may have been long gone, yet, their presence still remains,” Vanessa said.
You can see more of Vanessa’s works on her social media pages. Follow her on facebook.com/
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