by Denice de Guzman
MANILA – Hosting a nude sketch event is not for the shy and timid, obviously. At first, artists Rocky Ola and Mikee Atendido of WHOAREMARO were not so bold-faced in marketing an event that involves drawing nude people, but there was a need, so they filled it.
“The Lifedrawing Setup is a casual figure drawing event. It means that we’re not teaching anyone anything,” Rocky says. Now on its fourth month, The Lifedrawing Setup last September 17 at Warehouse 8 in Makati attracted different kinds of artists for a night of sketching, music, and party. “It could be boiled down as, ‘Here is a naked person, now draw them’,” Mikee continues.
Art in the human body
While there are many sketch events in the city, there are very few opportunities for a safe space to fully explore the human anatomy.
“We came from art school and we have life drawing, but people were clothed,” Mikee says. “We really wanna learn anatomy but it just didn’t exist, so [this event] came from frustration.”
“There is something very artistic about the human body,” he says. “Actually the human body is art in itself; you go into any museum, you will see sculptures and paintings of naked people. And learning how to draw the human body is one of the core fundamentals of being an artist.”
“If you want to learn art, this is a good start,” Mikee continues. “Not only to learn, but be immersed in the art community.”
The Lifedrawing Setup attracts all kinds of artists – from the art students to the hobbyists, from the veteran artists to people who don’t even draw. “A bunch of people just came in – they don’t draw. They just wanna party,” Rocky says.
“It’s a social event,” says Mikee. “You don’t only come here to draw, you don’t really come here to learn, but you’re gonna make friends and you’re gonna find out who’s who.”
Growing with the community
The Lifedrawing Setup started out as something out of the blue for Mikee and Rocky. But in art, as in life, practice makes perfect.
“In the very first one, it was a mess,” Mikee says. “Our spiels were a mess, the models were not really completely nude,” Mikee says. “We were also a bit more shy, because it was our first time. We felt really slimy trying to sell things to people. But now we have no shame.”
Also in the first event, the layout was segmented by the activities: the drawing area was divorced from the bar and the music. Now, the whole setup is ready for a party. “We put in one room so everybody can enjoy the same thing at the same time,” Rocky says.
Guests can also now buy merchandise from featured artists, and sponsors like Bombay Sapphire gin make the party even better. What’s more is that WHOAREMARO will eventually be offering mentored internships, for interested artists to learn about the business of art itself.
From a mere 20 guests in their first event to more than a hundred in the recently held one, The Lifedrawing Setup is set on growing. “Consistency is key here,” says Rocky. “We just want to grow bigger.”
The Lifedrawing Setup will once again be in Warehouse 8 on November 19. For more details and tickets, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/310622069301773/.
