by Rea Gierran
MANILA – In a society in which conformity is admired, nonconformity is likely to get one into trouble – except the guys from WHOAREMARO. Mikee Atendido and Rocky Ola thrive in unconventionality.
Both took courses in college without knowing how to draw, and now, it’s what propelled them towards collaborating and making a business.
WHOAREMARO’S Mikee Atendido and Rocky Ola welcoming the guests
Mikee explains that when an outstanding artist develops a following, they tend to leave the country and work somewhere else. Their goal is to give these great artists a reason to stay here in the country, and continue doing what they’re good at. Thus the creation of the Life Drawing Setup.
“It’s like having your typical life drawing classes in art school, except we’re adding food, drinks, music, and a party. Most of our artist friends are also introverts and sort of anti-socials so we want to make this an avenue for them to meet new people,” says Rocky.
Organizing life-drawing sessions did not come easy for the two young entrepreneurs. “Our initial attempt was such a mess. People were confused because the life drawing session is ongoing in one room, but when you go downstairs there are musicians playing. The drinks were everywhere,” Mikee recounts. But as luck would have it, their streak of failed events turned out to be their biggest investment.
“There were amazing videos and pictures taken during the event, so we created promotional materials out of it. A lot of people saw and heard about it,” Mikee said.
Now on their third Life Drawing Setup held at the Warehouse Eight last Saturday, it seems like the two are finally picking up the right rhythm. It drew a full house of people coming from different creative sectors, using different media. A diverse audience turned out, which included a couple of foreigners, adolescents, and even veteran artists. The models presented a variety of poses, which were held for two, five, 10, and 15 minutes.
The crowd was given a total of 90 minutes for each male and female model
For more details about WHOAREMARO check out their website at http://whoaremaro.tumblr.com/. For details about the most recent Life Drawing Setup, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/whoaremaro/
