Another Filipina creative has made history and put the Philippines on the map of the international art scene. Self-made artist Maruja Panti from Virac, Catanduanes, won the “Art Seen” 2023 competition. 

Organized by food brand SunChips, “Art Seen” is an annual international art competition wherein creatives worldwide are challenged to create packaging designs for the chips brand. Through this, the company hopes to put the spotlight on the originality and works of different artists worldwide. Three winners are selected every year, and for the 2023 leg, Maruja, a licensed civil engineer with a master’s degree in public administration, is among the winners, together with Darnell “Solo” Kirkwood and Megan Lewis from the USA. 

In an interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Maruja shared that she joined the competition without any expectation of winning. All she wanted to do was take that opportunity to share her works with a wider audience. She then sent two works, and those won through public voting on SunChips’ website. 

“Mashonda Tifrere, a women empowerment advocate, curator, and an art collector introduced me in the competition in Miami and asked me to join,” she said. “I sent two paintings ‘The Glowing Tulips’ and ‘The Pink Clouds.’ The competition is open worldwide for free. So I thought of it as a great opportunity to finally show my works to the critics—diverse people from different background and culture across the globe.” 

Then, one day, she received an email from SunChips informing her that she was among the winners. For six months, she worked with the brand’s team, where she was asked to create a packaging design for the chip variant. 

“I was designated to design the original flavor which happen to be the most expensive flavor of all the Sunchips,” Maruja said. “The other two grand winners are artists from USA, so it was easy for them to meet and communicate with the SunChips team. Meanwhile, I worked with them online and constant zoom meetings. Finally, the new limited-edition packaging was launched this year 2024.” 

Taking inspiration from her happy island life in Cataduanes, Maruja, who’s also a tattoo artist, created “Beating Heart.” This art piece is dominated by blue colors that remind the audience of vast seas and clear skies, with other vibrant colors inspired by tropical flowers and marine life. 

“It was titled, “Beating Heart”—beating toward uniqueness and happiness,” she said. “Everyone does have their heart of passion that contributes vibrant and good vibes to the world. Let our heart continue beating to inspire and spread our vibes to reach every beating heart.” 

From a simple goal of showcasing her works online, it’s now being held by people who will buy SunChips in the USA. This experience taught this Pinay artist the importance of dreaming and working hard to turn that dream into reality. 

“As a female artist, I was very happy to share and show the world what I can do about my works. Your dreams are valid no matter where you are from,” Maruja said. “I am currently residing in Catanduanes Island, too far from the city. I’m living in town of Virac where competing worldwide is such a huge risk to take. But I nailed it courageously. So, it is not where we are in this world that will tell us what we can only do but the dreams in our hearts that will fuel you to live that dream.”