My girlfriend and I have been fond of films and series ever since, although I prefer to work listening to music, I use our series/movie marathons to relax my hand in between working. We just finished watching The Good Place, and we love it! That series taught us about Philosophy, improving one’s self, and dealing with failures. We really enjoyed it; it gave us time to reflect how our lives mean now. We recommend you to watch it!

Kelli: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds with articles about the making of Pet Sounds, The Notwist - Neon Golden and Vertigo Days.  

Kim: I listen to various music genres like kpop, jpop, alternative music, indie pop, or Taylor Swift and some local music like Ben&Ben. It's just a random playlist, one genre jumps to another. 

Rap: Lately I’m into classic local movies/documentaries, pero minsan sobrang random lang ng mga pinapanood ko dipende sa kung anong available sa mga streaming platforms.  

Bjorn Calleja:  The most recent book I finished, yung Power of Now ni Eckhart Tolle, music when I'm by myself mga Solfeggio Frequencies, but sharing the space, good naman ako with any, whatever is playing na appreciate ko.  

Clarence: (Anything on) Abstraction. Geometry. Painting. Radiohead - Kid A

David: In music, I’ve recently been tripping on 60s-80s mellow touch, sometimes I like listening to ambient night forest sounds with matching orchestra of crickets to calm myself and keep worries at bay. I haven’t been watching movies lately, but I really enjoyed finishing the WandaVision series. Books always open near my working table available for picture reading in times of frustration, boredom or just to relax— I have Chinese propaganda posters, classical Greek mythology, anatomy, and books on works of Joseph Beuys and Jorg Immendorf— they serve as my constant companions, sometimes I even talk to them and ask questions when I find myself stuck. Fortunately none of the books have answered yet.

Victoria: For my work, it is not influenced by the music I listen to, or by any movies. ‘Cause for me the writer has his or her own meaning or message to tell. While for my work, it also has its own.

Bjorn:  I believe so, parang the most recent information na na process ng utak ko mostly affects the work that I do at that certain moment. Sa music naman parang two very different release ng energy yung nangyayare with my work, the first is very loose, medyo upbeat and free, then dun sa more controlled aspect nung work medyo kalma lang. 

JJ: Actually yes, especially when my girlfriend and I are watching something. We usually find ourselves hitting the pause button—yes we are that people—just to talk about our realizations during that moment. I always cherish these moments because we always formulate some kind of awareness about things, which then sets the ground for my works.

Tracie: While watching the drama set during Korea's Joseon era, there was a character who was an artist, and I studied how she held and controlled her brush. I must say I got quite a few tips. 

I think I have pretty eclectic tastes in music, books and movies and maybe this is why I like combining figuration with abstraction. I like exploring both spectrums and see how they can go together visually. I like the visual tension between refined and expressionist strokes in painting. 

Kim:  No, it doesn't affect my idea about my art in any way but it gets me into the zone, yet there's this manga that I was reading called "Blue period" by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. It's a manga about struggles and rewards of a life dedicated to art. This manga helps me connect deeply into my art and answers why I make it and what for. 

David:  I found myself doing three-in-one paintings that have the personal, social and historical as essential ingredients. My paintings might have some elements that can be referenced to past periods, but they always relate to the contemporary narrative, because my works are always informed by my experiences and the goings on in the world.

Rap: Yung works ko ngayon ay rearranged photos of different places/ people to make my own scene. Parang katulad sa contemporary art, pinaghahalo-halo yung styles from different art movements to make new art. 

Tracie: I go way back in history by painting Chinese porcelain from dynasties past (Qianlong, Ming, Tang) but choose those which are offered at auction in the present day. It's fascinating because these ceramics were used, collected and traded over the centuries and it continues to be collected today kinda like contemporary art, but maybe it succumbs less to the tastes of the market. Having said that, collecting Chinese ceramics are hot in Hongkong and China right now.  

I think the artists who painted these ceramics are some of the best artists in the world but they're not recognized. I can't even name one. It's also ironic that these ceramics were all made in China but made in China has a different ring to it today. By painting these, I've discovered a newfound appreciation for Chinese craftsmanship and art.

 JJ: My body of works are always telling a story about observations of my surroundings, and my relationships with them. I aim to portray my perspective, losses and wins as I go through life. After all, I’ve always believed that everyone and everything has a certain kinship and history, connected, one way or another.

Kim: I think my work is always connected; at some point in our lives or for some of us who feel lost or disconnected, and we just want to have a place where we feel accepted or be heard. 

Lena: I absorb, I produce. They have their worth because of the time and effort I put in it transforming sourced material that may or may not appreciate in value. Contemporary history is seemingly read through this certain lens of valuation, monetary or otherwise. Finiteness narrows down the focus of such reading, rendering valuation some predictability. I'm now starting to embark on this finiteness of production. Also, Life's a real bitch, we all want vindication in the end.  :D