Quarantine creativity: 19-year-old Cebu student uses soy sauce to make art

Quarantine Creativity: 19-year-old Thea Sophia Disabelle
only had a bottle of Silver Swan Soy Sauce, large plate,
and a limitless imagination to create unique works of art.

As the quarantine keeps everyone at home for their safety, many young Filipinos spend their time honing their skills and creativity, finding ways to express themselves. With all this free time on their hands, there are those who even go the extra mile when it comes to being creative.

This was certainly the case for 19-year-old communication student Thea Sophia Disabelle, from Bantayan Island, Cebu, who stirred buzz on the internet after creating art not just through traditional mediums, but also using a medium no one thinks could be used for art: soy sauce. Yes, the very same soy sauce you ordinarily see in kitchens at home.

“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 back in March using Silver Swan Soy Sauce, a staple in their 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?’”

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The Filipino people are a patriotic nation. We take pride in our heroes, from Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, to modern-day heroes like Manny Pacquiao. We are blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches and mountains in the world. We are also characterized by our fondness for food, so it is suprising that we do not have a national dish.

Informally, ask any Pinoy what our national dish should be and he or she will instantly say, "Adobo!" complete with a twinkle in their eye and a rumble in their stomach. Adobo is deeply personal dish to every Filipino. From Batanes to Tawi-Tawi, every Filipino family has their own special heirloom recipes handed down from their mothers. The versatility of Adobo makes it so that you can adjust and fine tune the recipes according to personal taste, and to the availability of local ingredients.