Corruption under the table and to bed with a political dynasty

It may very well be the smallest graduating class of any program. Three students from Mapua have just earned their Interior Design degrees after four years of four terms each with only a week’s break in between.

Mapua’s Interior Design Class of 2013 — Renee Andrea D. Chua, Patrick Roy Javier and Jullienne Iris Taguinod — took their cue from last year’s newsmakers for their exhibit  “Design + Agenda: Interior Design Takes to the Headlines” at SM City North Edsa’s Interior Zone. 

The three explain that a class starts with about 20 students per level but due to the quarter system and the intensity of the course, many students cannot take the stress and leave the program. But for these three, interior design is their future. Renee says, “Life is stressful yet beautiful. Everyday living is inspiring, every day is an art, every sunrise, and every sunset is beautiful and fresh.”

Their design vignettes explore issues ranging from corruption to nepotism and women’s rights.

Jullienne Iris Taguinod’s “The Womb” dining room aims to show the tension between the two opposing groups in the much-debated Reproductive Health Bill.

“A woman carries her unborn child (embryo) in her womb (uterus) for nine  months and ‘The Womb’ is a concept that illustrates the RH Bill in a Filipino dining room. The context of the design is to accentuate the advantage of RH Bill to the modern Filipinos.”

Her dining room is contemporary and feminine. Juliene recognizes the importance of eating to Filipino families and that the dining room is where they get nourishment, both physically and emotionally. This is where families bond, talk and share experiences.

“The mother is the light of the family. She is soft, passionate, loving and caring. Curves symbolize a woman and dominate the space. The big half sphere sculpture represents the mother when she is pregnant. The circular form from the floor shadows the sphere sculpture, suggesting a limit or population control.” Julienne uses a metal screen to represent the church.

In “Derivation of Supremacy,” Patrick Roy Javier puts the spotlight on political dynasties in the Philippines through his master bedroom vignette.

“Politics in the Philippines has been under the control of a few families. It is normal for a politician’s son, wife, brother, or other kin to run for the same government office. Whether we like it or not, the prevalence of political families in a range of public posts has become commonplace today.” 

Patrick uses the bed and its angled framing (symbolizing DNA enzymes) as the focal point of the room. The clear acrylic storage in the framing says that no matter how politicians may try to hide their dirty little secrets,  they will be exposed eventually.

“We want to look clean at all times but underneath the bedsheets lies dirt. From the bed, a lumber designed like traces and bloodlines forms a night table while the headboard is a customized wall padding that is gray and red.”

The entertainment cabinet serves as a divider and transition of mini areas such as the study table and vanity nook.

Renee Andrea Chua takes on government corruption and the pork barrel scam in her “Pagtitipon Ukol kay P.”

She explains that she wanted to show the gatherings that have occurred in relation to these issues — the Senate hearings and the protest at Luneta Grandstand “where people gathered to find answers, express their disappointment, and to show that Filipinos are still united.”

Renee puts details like a wine rack to represent unity of the people and the transparency they are demanding; a painting to represent freedom of choice and expression; and a sculptural chair to represent assembly in the senate “where there is chaos and a gathering in Luneta where there is unity.”

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“Design + Agenda” runs until Feb. 5 at SM Interior Zone, SM North Edsa, QC.