Quisha Laforteza

1/3: The World’s a Stage: Veiled in Comedy Panel 1 - Act I: Setup *New Year, new me* 🤡 vvv late New year post 🎉✨🎆 First W of 2023: Thesis defended 💪 Actual thesis (Yung digital study muna kasi pinaka decent pic ko anlabo. My record keeping skillz suckz): Oil on canvas 2.5 x 4 ft. 2023 Titled "The World’s a Stage: Veiled in Comedy," this triptych artwork visually delves into Gen Z’s relationship with humor, showcasing its profound connection to humanity's inherent inclination to seek solace in comedy during challenging times. The piece draws inspiration from Sociologist Erving Goffman's key philosophies, which propose the notion that human interaction can be put into a dramaturgical metaphor, likening the activity to actors presenting a desired character on stage. The artwork is structured around a 3-Act framework, mirroring Goffman's ideas. Act I serves as the setup, Act II unfolds as the conflict, and Act III brings about resolution. Abangan na lang yung other two...siguro next month (?) chz 🤡 #artph #digitalart #digitalpainting #academicartwork #happynewyear #ervinggoffman #memeart

2/3: The World’s a Stage: Veiled in Comedy Panel 2 - Act II: The Confrontation. Actual thesis: Acrylic on canvas 3 x 4 ft. 2023 2nd part ng thesis artwork na ngayon ko lang i-popost before March ends 'cause February was a hectic month. Act II is where the conflict presents itself. By giving the context of an audience, it illustrates a possible dilemma, a moment to question the authenticity and veracity of one's work. The actual painting has a mirror in place of the painter here. The use of the mirror offers itself an opportune moment for introspection on the self, to ask the question of who our creations are intended for. Is it a reflection of our true self or one curated to be palpable to an audience? I always have to remind myself about this in creating a painting, to honor authenticity rather than to please an imaginary critique 🎭 #artph #digitalart #digitalpainting #academicartwork #thesisartwork

3/3: The World’s a Stage: Veiled in Comedy Panel 3 - Act III: Resolution At the end of the day we're all performances 🤡 chz Happy (?) April's Fools day (pahabol ko) Actual thesis: Oil on canvas 2.5 x 4 ft. 2023 Na tapos din yung thesis post dump 👌 I have nothing much to say about act 3. The last part serves more of a representation of my own sentiments about the concept of "putting on an act" in everyday interaction. It's always going to be curated to some degree, depends on the person whether or not it's a good thing. Nowadays, (being more active online) I feel like I'm becoming more and more inauthentic. Even in my art, I hesitate, worried about external perceptions. I wish I can just turn off the overthinking and just do more art/stuff without worrying about how it will be perceived by others. Anws....making this thesis artwork was tbh euphoric, learned a lot about different philosophies on Humor and Interpersonal relationship/communication, good read si Erving Goffman. Mag o-one year na sya, and I only have fond memories. And it made me fall in love with the painting Stańczyk by Jan Matejko. Though, I still have plans to revise the actual painting, kaya for the meantime puro digital studies lng. #artph #digitalart #digitalpainting #academicartwork #aprilfools #ervinggoffman #memeart

It Will Pass 2026 Oil on Canvas 12x14 in On view at @thegreyspace.ph May 16, 2026 📌 for the groupshow [When Opportunity Knocks] Much thanks to @verygoodgallery and @thegreyspace.ph for the opportunity 💖🐰 A small piece that I keep close to heart to remind me that no matter how endless something feels, time moves forwards. There's comfort in knowing hardship isn't permanent, everything passes. That it gets better with time. . . . . . . . . . #artph #contemporaryartwork #lowbrowart

Suspended Before Certainty Acrylic on canvas 24"×18" 2026 Hardest piece to finish...lots of emotions attached. The worst part of that moment was the waiting, an hour felt like days anticipating and overthinking all the possible outcomes. Sitting there, a little hopeful, a little worried…a mix bag of emotions...just praying and hoping everything will turn out okay. March 15, 2026 📌 @artintheparkph x @verygoodgallery

“An Afternoon [Im]Pulse” Acrylic on Canvas 24’’ x 18’’ Inches 2026 First show/piece of the year! Much thanks to the amazing @forcefield.artspace and @verygoodgallery for the opportunity; I am always grateful! 💖🐰 On view at Hideaway HQ, katip ave QC 👀📌 Katatapos lang ng holiday festivities. Some of us may not have had the chance to really rest, and even for those who did, it felt short-lived. For a few, even, we had interrupting thoughts of anxiety, knowing that sooner or later we’d have to snap back to reality. More often than not, we reach for whatever offers quick relief, a temporary high to dull the weighty thought of past work and looming responsibilities. Yet comfort acquired thru these quick fixes acts only as bandages; they fade as quickly as they came. And when the time comes wherein their effects wear off and reality—constant as ever—sets back in, we are left to face what remains: peace or chaos? Perhaps lasting happiness isn’t achieved in momentary bliss but in the slow building of one's reality in rhythm with one’s own heart and mind ✌️🙂‍↕️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #artph #contemporaryart #acrylicpainting #popsurreal #lowbrow

Last work of 2025, "Look Who's Knocking" for art trade with @sarkastik_worlock !!! Sorry namali size 😭 Oil on shaped canvas 2025 Inspired by a poem from my fave poet 🫀✒️

Pintor nga pala ako 👩‍🎨🐰 I’ll keep this short but honest. Last year (2024), I almost gave up on being an artist. Fortunately, coming into the year 2025, Very Good Gallery gave me an opportunity that I will always be thankful for. They reintroduced me to the art community, and through their guidance, I learned about the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of the art world. Despite the struggles, moments of doubt, identity crises, and rejections, I can say with certainty that I still want to be part of this community. I’ll remember 2025 as the year I met the most new people and I’m deeply grateful for the trust and belief they placed in me. And to those who left, ya’ll have imparted important lessons that I will carry with me into the next. Along with the people who stayed and grew alongside me. Each of you, in one way or another, helped shape who I am, and coincidingly influenced my art. The white rabbit will always remind me that nothing in life is permanent; life moves through beginnings and endings. We make do with the time we have, and 2025 made me realize I want to make the most with what time I have as an artist. Maraming salamat 🫡 lahat para sa sining 💖 rawr.

"Before the Curtain Falls" 18x24 Acrylic 2025 Another piece for @verygoodgallery for our "Where Warmth Lives" exhibit last November 17, 2025 held Buhay na Tubig Imus, Cavite 📍 ✨️🐇 Thank you po ulit for the opportunity! 🙏 Na insipire ako sa mga na kikita kong apolitical and apathetic mentality of some people both in offline and in online spaces, regardless of social status, label and power. Lalo sa mga public figures na meron nmn talang impact with their mere influence in socmed. At this moment in time, speaking about important issues tells us about one’s values. Silence is no longer an option when harm is done, when injustices are committed, or when respect is ignored. To those who give voice to the voiceless despite the consequences; there is a quiet courage and clear compassion to the people they speak and highlight abt through their platform (big or small) Cliché as it may seem. Political, social, and personal, this refusal to be indifferent on hard-pressing issues ensures harm will not prevail. Speak now, before the world robs you of your voice, before dialogue becomes impossible, before the curtain falls, the light dims with no one left to hear. Anys, Nov 30 👀 kasi wala parin nakukulong, at daming dumi lang lumalabas ginugulo nlng tayo mga hayop sila. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #artph #paintingart #contemporaryart #acrylicpainting #art #popsurreal

"Who started the fire" -- we sure didn't 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas 2025 2/2 My (long overdue) 2nd piece for @artforspaceph under @verygoodgallery during the exhibit Smolder 🔥🐰🐷😺🐸🦅 that happened last May 03, 2025 at Alabang Town Center Muntinlupa City📍 In this current timeline, it often feels like beating a dead horse when we talk about the well-known issues this country (the Philippines) continues to face. My parents lived through a time when people stood up against something abhorrently corrupt, and now, well into their 50s, their children have inherited the very same plights. Most likely, the generations after us will too. With all the hearings, interviews, and public statements already said and recorded, I can’t help but adopt a very nihilistic view of the world. I think I’ve seen this film before—and I’m certain I won’t like the ending. Some theories suggest history is cyclical, and perhaps this is the part of the circle where we find ourselves back at the bottom. Still, so as not to be hypocritical, I hold on to this: as long as the sun rises on this side of the world, there remains a chance—no matter how minute—to try again. 🌞👌 Sayang wlang 🐊 . . . . . . #artph #art #traditionalart #acrylıcpainting #contemporaryartwork #whenwillwelearnfromhistory #ghostmonthngayonkayabaginoghostrintayonggobyerno

"The sun will rise, and we will try again" 14x16 Acrylic 2025 My first piece for @villageartgallery under @verygoodgallery for Open Skies exhibit last August 23 at Alabang Town Center! Very grateful for the opportunity to exhibit! Thank you po ✨ “Now the night is coming to an end The sun will rise, and we will try again Stay alive, stay alive for me” (Twenty-One Pilots, Truce) Despite the constant pressures of time—taunting that it is too late, that you’ve fallen behind, or that chances have slipped away—the simple fact of being alive means there is still hope: another chance to begin again. And especially now, when hope for change feels harder to hold, I remind myself that the sun still rises. Each day offers itself anew. Maybe this time, it will be different. . . . . . . #artph #traditionalart #acrylıcpainting #contemporaryartwork

To each their own time 18x20in Acrylic on canvas 2025 My first piece for @gallery.sort.of under @verygoodgallery 🐰🎸 Thank you for the chance to showcase my work ✨ The Impossible Ordinary happened last month on July 20 at Camaro st., Faireview QC 📍 This piece highlights the simple fact that everyone moves at their own pace, shaped by different choices, and circumstances. No one can fully predict where another person is headed—or even where they’ll end up themselves. The future is uncertain, and our time is limited. What we can control is what we do in the present. Whether or not others notice, understand, or believe in us, what matters is doing what feels right for ourselves. We act according to our own timing and are driven by our own reasons.