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In this self-portrait, I tried to show parts of myself that are hard to put into words. I used a surreal style because it helped me express feelings that don’t always make sense. My body blends into the background to show how I often keep to myself, especially around people I don’t know well. The red tears, made from outlined newspaper, reflect how my thoughts can pile up until they feel too heavy, and sometimes crying is how I let them out. The plant growing from my chest stands for my empathy—I try to understand others deeply, but it can be tiring, too. This piece is about the quiet struggle between wanting to be understood and needing space to breathe.

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“The Fear of Vulnerability” – A reinterpretation of Magritte’s The Lovers II, revealing how emotional intimacy today is often blurred by fear, anxiety, and the struggle to be seen.

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Based on Walter Benjamin’s ideas, especially from The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, I would still consider my end-product as a work of art. Benjamin argued that reproduction challenges the "aura" of original artworks — but he also acknowledged how new forms and technologies can democratize art and give rise to new meanings. My version does not attempt to replace the original but rather respond to it, using alteration as a form of commentary. Through intentional choices in composition, distortion, and symbolism, my piece holds its own narrative, making it a valid artwork within a contemporary context.

The ideas of originality and piracy deeply affect how we receive and judge art today. Altering an existing piece can be seen as disrespectful, but it can also serve as a form of dialogue — a way to critically engage with themes that remain relevant. In my case, I repurposed Magritte’s “The Lovers II” not to copy but to reinterpret, revealing how emotional distance and vulnerability persist in other ways. The line between piracy and reinterpretation can be blurry, but intention, transformation, and context matter greatly in shaping whether something can be seen as art or just imitation.

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The poem Letter to Pedro, US Citizen, Also Called Pete addresses several ideologies, particularly those related to colonial mentality, social inequality, and the effects of modernization. It also talks about how life in the hometown has changed, but not for the better. It shows how people with power and money take land and control everything, while the poor keep struggling. The poem also talks about how some Filipinos leave for a better life abroad and slowly lose their connection to their roots. It highlights how poverty pushes people to make difficult choices, like Julia becoming a whore. In the end, the poem feels sad and nostalgic, asking if leaving for another country really makes life better or just makes people forget where they came from.

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Episode 3 of Alice in Borderland stood out for me because of the Seven of Hearts game, where Arisu and his friends must decide who will survive. The episode is intense and emotional, showing how extreme situations push people to make difficult choices. The first time I watched it, I saw it as a dramatic survival quest that tested the characters' intelligence and morality. But after rewatching it with Althusser’s ideas in mind, I noticed how the episode reflects larger social structures.

One clear ideology in this episode is survival of the fittest, which suggests that competition and self-interest are natural and necessary. This connects to capitalist beliefs, where success often depends on outlasting others. The game itself works like an Ideological State Apparatus (ISA) because it forces the players to act in certain ways without direct violence. The unseen gamemasters set the rules, and the players follow them, believing they have no other choice.

Althusser’s idea of interpellation is also present, as Arisu and his friends take on the roles given to them—wolf and sheep—even if they do not fully agree with them. They act as if these roles define them, just like people in society often follow expectations set by different environments such as schools, workplaces, or the media. The game makes them believe they have control over their actions, but in reality, they are still playing by someone else’s rules.

Looking at the episode this way changed my perspective. Before, I saw it as just an intense and tragic part of the story, but now I have fully understood and noticed how it reflects real-world systems of control. It shows how people follow rules and expectations without always realizing it, which is something worth thinking about beyond just the game.

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Salvador P. Lopez’s “Literature and Society”

1. Art can be created for many reasons, even without being influenced by social or political issues, as it is up to the artist to decide what kind of art to make. Some may paint purely to express personal emotions, while others may compose music to show love for their partner. Art can exist for its own sake by being a way to tell stories—ones that aim to uplift others without necessarily focusing on the negative side of life.

2. Art has many purposes, and one of them can be an escape. However, believing that art is only for escape may lead people to think that ignoring problems is the right thing to do. Facing struggles is not always easy, but it should not be something we turn away from. Ignoring problems instead of addressing them can show fear, while art should encourage people to be brave.

3. History is an important part of our lives, and art helps us understand the world around us, even as things change over time. Addressing the “problems of [the artist’s] time” shows how art can reflect and challenge society. By doing this, art allows people to become more aware of real issues and may inspire them to help make things better.

4. Lopez means that artists and writers should create works that are not only beautiful but also meaningful and educational. Their works should help people understand the world better and inspire them to improve it, even in small ways. Art is more than just entertainment—it should make people think and see beyond its surface meaning.

5. Lopez believes that the highest form of art is one that frees people—whether from ignorance, oppression, or limitations. Artists should have the freedom to decide what their art is for, without being forced to follow society’s expectations. Art should allow people to express themselves and even give a voice to those who are unheard. It can be a way to entertain, but it can also inspire change and bring awareness to important issues.

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For my visualization of Landscape II, I combined traditional and digital techniques to capture the poem’s intense and emotional imagery. I painted the sky in deep red watercolor, then scanned it to emphasize the poem’s themes of pain and loss. The red tones represent the bleeding horizon and raw emotions in the poem. For the foreground, I used an online image to create a grounded, fragmented landscape, symbolizing brokenness and mourning. To unify the elements, I smudged the entire piece, creating a blurred, dreamlike effect that reflects the feeling of fading memories and lingering sorrow. I chose this mixed-media approach as I felt it best conveyed the poem’s sense of grief, change, and emotional depth.

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Among Van Gogh's more than 900 paintings, Wheatfield with Crows (1890) stands out as one of his most famous painting and is often considered one of his final works, though there is a debate about whether it was truly his last work. The painting depicts a turbulent wheat field under what looks like a lovely sky but instead a stormy one, with a flock of crows flying alarmingly.

Whether the scene was real or imagined does not matter anymore as the emotions it conveys matters more. Van Gogh's art was deeply expressive, often reflecting light and darkness—hope and despair. The dramatic brushstrokes and intense colors created a mood of turmoil, isolation, and perhaps even foreshadow his fate. Even if the scene was not a direct, literal depiction, its emotional truth remains significant. The painting continues to captivate viewers, reflecting the depth of Van Gogh's emotions and artistic vision.

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The arts matter to science students because they bring creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the human experience. Science focuses on facts and logic, but the arts help make innovation more meaningful and relevant to society. They encourage imagination, better communication, and a broader view. By combining science with the arts, students can think more creatively, approach challenges differently, and make discoveries that have a real impact. Without the arts, science risks becoming too mechanical, losing sight of the people it aims to help and problems it aims to address.

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Art as Representation and Imitation

The concepts of representation, imitation, and mimesis define art as a way of reflecting reality. Plato considered art an imperfect copy of the real world, while Aristotle saw it as a creative interpretation that reveals deeper meaning. Mimesis on the other hand emphasizes how art captures life through varying forms ranging from paintings to literature.

However, this idea has limitations, especially when applied to abstract forms of art like instrumental music or modern art, which do not directly imitate the physical world. While mimesis remains an important foundation in defining art, it does not fully account for all artistic expressions.

Art as Expression

Every artwork has its corresponding expression which may have come from the artist's emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Other than creating art through merely imitation, it can be done through expression which is more of subjective as it prioritizes inner feelings, often through color, shape, or movement. This is one way of allowing artists to be more creative as they craft their works.

On the other hand, art as representation focuses more on creating resemblance of real-life subjects, which shows that its depiction focuses more on the outside world. While both approaches define art, the former focuses on personal interpretation, while the latter aims to reflect reality.

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"Art is the product of creative human activity in which materials are shaped or selected to convey an idea, emotion, or visually interesting form.” - Encarta Encyclopedia

The attached artwork is not just something I own—it is something I created. Every detail, from the stickers to the tote bag design, was carefully edited by me for our school’s environmental club, the Buhay Luntian Club. Through these designs, I wanted to blend advocacy with creativity, turning everyday items into a canvas for awareness and mix of cuteness. More than just merch, these pieces are visual reminders of our mission to protect the planet—one sticker, one tote, one small act at a time.