DCR Student Marks Milestone, Scores Silver in 55th NSAC
Marko E. Sarmiento, a Communication Research junior, gave pride and honor to the College Department after securing the 2nd spot in the Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation’s 55th National Students Art Competition (NSAC) held at the Ayala Museum, Makati City, last December 6, 2022.
With the theme “Sulong Sining,” this year’s art event was participated in by over a thousand artists across the country from Metro Manila, Cebu City, General Santos City, Tarlac, Laguna, Sorsogon, and more.
Sarmiento’s 3x3 ft. artwork entitled “Bahay-Bahayan” was one of the entries in the Oil/Acrylic category of NSAC. He received a trophy, a plaque, a silver medal, and a cash prize of 40,000 pesos.
In an interview with UNDERSCORE, Sarmiento mentioned that his artwork depicts a world where children can trail their passions freely instead of pursuing other matters out of practicality. He believes it is unfortunate for some people because they do not have the privilege to follow their dreams due to different factors, primarily economic ones.
“As someone who wasn’t able to pursue my first choice in college, which is architecture, I was inspired to make this art to show that I can still pursue art while being a communication research student,” he shared.
Sarmiento also said that being a communication research student helps him as an artist in terms of being critical while communicating through art.
“Being a communication research student and an artist holds the same value to me. Communication Research helps me be a critical communicator while art helps me communicate on the emotional side. They both allow me to communicate with other people through two different mediums,” he added.
Besides, Sarmiento emphasized the importance of communication research in his life as an artist since it is a field that upholds data-driven work and programs.
“Communication Research helps me when it comes to being accurate in the details and facts of my work. As a communication research student, I want my paintings to be accurate, meaningful, and impactful,” he explained.
Furthermore, Sarmiento also highlighted that he has learned many great lessons in life as a student and as an artist, and he is still learning.
“It is a huge milestone for me because I was able to make my art a platform that connects with people and relays a powerful message that spreads awareness regarding what is happening in our society,” he asserted.
Sarmiento started embarking his name in art competitions when he bagged his first-ever gold in the National Research Council of the Philippines painting contest last July 2022. Continuing his legacy, he is currently a finalist in the first-ever MMDA painting competition.
NSAC, an annual art competition initiated by Shell, underlines how students can make an impact and showcase their hopes and dreams through the arts. It has different categories namely, Oil and Acrylic, Digital Art, Watercolor, and Sculpture.
Each category has 30 finalists, and only the top seven contestants were chosen to be exhibited. Aside from Sarmiento, Luke Eidref Agapito Berja, an Advertising and Public Relations student from PUP-COC, won 2nd place in the sculpture category.
