The opportunity to express one’s creative identity and vision is something College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) students look forward to every year, especially through the all-student showcase dubbed, “Vinci’s Market.”
Coined during Academic Year 2024-2025, the name “Vinci’s Market,” inspired by renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci, embraces the diverse and unique art expressions of CFAD students through an all-student bazaar, said CFAD Student Council President Asher Lumaque.
Since then, the space has evolved from a simple market where students sold trinkets and stickers to one featuring various gimmicks and custom pieces tailored to the seller’s liking.
The art mart consists of nearly 50 booths and over 200 CFAD students, all sharing spaces at the gazebos in front of the Beato Angelico building.
Exhibitors secured slots by signing up on an online form. They were chosen on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lumaque said the event’s goal was for students to enjoy and appreciate what it takes to be a CFAD student.
Shereen Bajo, a third year advertising student, who joined the art mart for the first time, said it was her chance to finally make her mark in the Thomasian community. Bajo sold different pop-culture-inspired stickers and designs.
For Bajo, the art mart goes beyond making a sale—it is a flourishing movement where artists are given a platform to sell and exhibit their own art.
“That’s the core message of art mart—spreading these students’ art to everyone else” she said.
Revitalizing her work for the eyes of a bigger audience is another first-time participant, Niña Marie De Guzman.
De Guzman sold art prints of her distinct designs. She said her work was a part of her personality, meant not just for her professors but also for the Thomasian community to see.
“‘Yung goal is hindi lang for myself, for others din na makita nila ‘yung identity nila as an individual artist,” she explained, underscoring how deeply personal and multifaceted a piece can be.
Returning to Vinci’s Market for her third consecutive year is Marianne Christine Villasquez, who sold stickers, art prints, and handmade beaded earrings, infusing her distinct style and identity into her work.
Her products drew inspiration from Star Cinema films alongside her own concepts and ideas.
“As a graduating student, these are the moments I will cherish, and I will look back to the most,” she said.
Guided by her journey of growth and self-discovery, Villasquez encouraged first-time sellers to embrace their own unique art style.
“Kung hinahanap mo pa ‘yong art style mo okay lang ‘yan. Meron at merong magkakaroon ng taong maga-appreciate sa kung anong gusto mong ipakita,” she added.
On the other side of the booths, students wandered through the gazebos, pausing to admire each seller’s works of art, as they expressed their enthusiastic support and appreciation for the market.
Among the visitors of Vinci’s Market were Audrie Espineda and Alyson Meguines of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, who were captivated not just by products, but also by the talents of the student-vendors.
“Meron din mga nagla-live na drawing [ng] mga portraits. Sobrang interesting and ang ganda [ng Vinci’s Market],” Meguines said.
The art market ran from Nov. 19 to 21, as part of the 25th founding anniversary of CFAD.
