TRENDING si Solenn Heussaff noong March 3 dahil sa promotional photo ng kanyang upcoming art exhibit.
Puna ng mga netizens, nirerespeto nila ang galing at talento ng French-Filipina artist sa pagpipinta, pero hindi nila nagustuhan ang paggamit nito ng squatter’s area bilang backdrop ng kanyang painting, na tila nagsasalamin ng ‘poverty porn’ o paggamit ng mahihirap para mapansin ang kanilang mga gawa.
Noong una ay sinasagot pa ni Solenn ang mga negative comments. Sinubukan nito na sagutin ang mga kritisismo na nagsasabing ginagamit lang niya ang mga mahihirap para i-promote ang kanyang art exhibit.
Noong March 4 ay dinelete ni Solenn ang original post niya at sinabing she has been “thinking a lot about the comments you guys left on the photo I posted.”
Post nito sa IG, “I know it sparked some debate and there were both good and bad takes on it. While I appreciate the encouragement some shared, I also want to apologize to those I have hurt.”
Patuloy niya: “Wanted to shoot it in a typical street, those we drive by every day. Streets full of life, since all my paintings are about the people we see. Not the rich or the poor but people for who they are. Humanity. The choice of painting was to show the environmental side. The abundance and balance of what life was, but also growth and hope. Though yes, art is subjective, and your thoughts made me more sensitive to different perspectives on my art and this really was a learning experience for me.”
Idiniin ni Solenn na wala siyang intensyon na manakit ng mga tao sa kanyang original post. “It was my hope that I could lend my voice and my art to show the reality of Filipinos. This is the heart and inspiration of all my paintings, both old and new. I did not want to romanticize the poverty of the everyday Pinoy or the resiliency that we naturally have. I really hoped to honor our people by being truthful about the kind of life a lot of Filipinos live today and to show that Filipinos deserve better.”
“Thank you for letting this be an eye-opener for me as well. And to those that I have offended, I am sorry.”
