“‘Wag naman masyadong harsh.”
Artist Jerry Santos, one of the artists behind the viral celebrity figures at the StarTista Gallery in an amusement park, spoke out amid the backlash their creations have received.
The StarTista Gallery, launched on June 19 at Star City in Pasay City, is said to be the country’s version of the famous Madame Tussauds wax museum, featuring life-size figures of various personalities.
Images of the life-size figures in the gallery quickly generated online buzz among Filipinos, with some poking fun at the creations and comparing their facial features to the celebrities they were inspired by.
“Parang manequin sa Divisoria. Ang papangit!” a Facebook user commented. Divisoria is a commercial district in Manila known for mass market shops selling low-priced goods and wholesale items.
“Parang mga Avengers sa mga swimming pool resorts. ‘Yung kulang sa budget ang sculptor,” another commented.
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“Maganda pa ‘yung superman figure sa Festival Mall toy store hahaha,” a different Facebook user wrote.
“Basta made in the Philippines, matic talaga cheap at low budget,” another Pinoy said.
The figures in the StarTista Gallery are made of resin, unlike the Madame Tussauds figures, which are made of wax.
These include icons from Philippine sports, entertainment, fashion, comedy and public service such as Pops Fernandez, Angel Aquino, Rhian Ramos, Michael V, Paolo Contis, Ara Mina, Maui Taylor, Hidilyn Diaz, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Sen. Imee Marcos and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, among several others.
Reports said each figure was brought to life through hand-sculpting, resin printing and dynamic video displays.
Santos, who was among the artists behind the creations, appealed to Filipinos to refrain from being “too harsh” in their comments on their works.
“Nung una, nalungkot ako para sa mga artists ko kasi pinag-ukulan nila nito ng panahon, ng oras, talento, at pagmamahal para masigurado na maganda ang kalalabasan,” he said in an interview with News5.
“Kami naman po ay tumatanggap ng kritisismo, pero sana, ‘wag naman ‘yung masyadong harsh to the point na sobrang nakakasakit na sa mga artists. ‘Pag constructive, ina-accept naman po namin ‘yan. Kaya naman po nating i-improve lahat. Bigyan lang kami ng chance,” Santos added.
He also admitted that the artists based their creations only on photos of the personalities.
“Ang message ko lang sa kanila, before sila mag-judge, kung pwede, bisitahin nila. Libre lang naman pumunta dito sa StarTista Gallery kapag nag-entrance kayo sa Star City. So reserve your judgement, until maka-visit kayo dito,” the artist said.
Santos thanked Star City for trusting them to create the life-size figures.
He also expressed his gratitude on social media, saying that what mattered was the positive reception from their clients and the personalities portrayed.