OUR LADY OF COFFEE

In hues of brown and paisley dreams, Sunshine Plata creates beauty of surreal themes using caffeinated beans.

Actually she uses instant coffee more than brewed coffee from beans. But you get the picture: a petite artist who paints using coffee.

Mother and Child: (Clockwise) The artist with her mother, A mother and child fairy painting, An Our Lady version, and Diwata.

Addicted artist

Sunshine’s caffeine addiction started when she saw a 19^th century signature made with coffee displayed at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. The artist within her, stimulated perhaps by the invigorating prowess of coffee, woke up and her relationship with coffee as a painting medium has since then prospered.

Initially a psychology student at the University of Sto. Tomas, Sunshine shifted to fine arts in her second year after realizing her love for art. “Kahit ako noon, di ako naniniwala na kayang mabuhay sa art (Even I used to believe that you can’t live on art). [It is about] letting out positive energy. Financial aspect will follow,” she said. And follow it did.

After her very first exhibition, LSD (look, smell, discover) Trip by Caffeine, which was sponsored by Nescafe, her peculiar art has gained renown from all over. She was able to sell 27 of her 33 paintings during the exhibit, and sold the remaining—by an interesting twist of fate—to Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Her works have also been exhibited at Times Square in New York for the Martha Stewart Show.

During her more bitter coffee moments as she struggled to present her art to the world, she recounted when she tried to exhibit at the art galleries in SM Megamall. “None of them wanted to exhibit my art kasi di daw (because it is not a) legitimate medium. Wow ang lupet naman nun, ganun ba karepulsive trabaho ko (that is harsh, are my works really that repulsive)?” she laughingly reminisced.

The author with the artist and her prized "Diwata"

Fairy by heart

“I used to want to be a fairy,” the youthful Sunshine said. An avid fan of Thumbelina for her freedom to explore new things, Sunshine reflects her surreal views and her sprightly character in her many works.

Many of her subjects are of cutesy fairies or beautiful diwatas. Her favorite piece, Diwata, has already been seen in other countries and was her third work to gain international recognition. She saw her tragically drowning during a very vivid dream. Ever the positive one, she decided “If you’re going to drown, you should drown in style.”

What sets her apart however from other coffee artists, like the ones in Cordillera, are her intricate paisley designs and patterns. No design is ever repeated as she does the time-consuming detailing spontaneously. Sometimes she even surprises herself.

Catholic in spirit

Apart from the surrealism of the fairy world, Sunshine also paints a lot of religious themes, particularly Our Lady. In many of her works what might be mistaken as an ordinary portrait of a woman is actually a version of our Holy Mother.  An example is her Our Lady of Japan which features the Virgin Mother with the Child Jesus in a kimono garb complete with a Japanese landscape background.

Her catholic upbringing has also brought her to teach art classes to underprivileged children. Not having gone to art school herself, Sunshine understands the importance of having a support system to pursue your art. “When love and skill work together, you create a masterpiece. After that comes greater turns,” she said.

Exploring beyond the coffeemaker

Coffee, with its many invigorating properties, is a complex medium to work with. Paintings done with it only lasts for 75 years, shorter compared to paintings made with oil or acrylic, but longer than other non-traditional painting media used by “radical” artists nowadays like chocolate or tea.

Her framing is also done in different way. Enough space must be placed in between the painting and the glass to prevent moisture from causing fungal growth in the canvass.

It does have its perks though, particularly in its affordability. Sunshine just needs tap water and a few pack of instant coffee and she is ready to paint. For lighter hues less coffee is diluted in more water and vice versa for darker hues.

“In the future I plan to use mixed media, to provide evolution, or dabble with watercolor,” she said. “Ang dami-daming may kape, pwede din nilang gawin,” she added.

“At this point I’m fulfilled already, kaso hindi pa rin perfect (but still not perfect). At this point I can’t ask for anything more.” Asked if she will go to portraiture, “I can’t do portraits, I’m planning to learn, I might not give the person justice.”

Though she believes that art is politicized and it is a battle of the fittest, her attitude is “take it or leave it.” She tries to distance herself from the negativity many young artists show in their works nowadays.

“Kapag nagpaka-gory, magpapanggap lang ako, baka tumagal lang ung painting. Sana sumasaya sila. (If I create something gory, I will only be untrue to my art, it might take too long to finish. I hope they become happy)” She jokingly adds “Maybe, kapag naconsume na ako ng dark side (If the dark side consumes me).”