This Quirky Photo Booth Hides an Artist Who Can Do Three-Minute Portraits
Photo booth, but make it live art.
(SPOT.ph) Live art is rare to come by in the Philippines, even more so when you exclude caricature services in malls. You know what we mean.
One local artist is putting a spin on live art with a unique photo booth experience. Portraits! by Loren is a new concept that has been making rounds on TikTok for its quirky art style and installation in Bonifacio Global City.
It’s the usual photo booth experience with a human touch. You enter the portrait booth facing a mirror. Behind that mirror is freelance artist Loren Mendoza, who conceptualized and created the booth from the ground up. She's there to draw you for the next ten minutes or so.
@lorendoza the booth set-up! just a background, i only did the portrait booth as a birthday gift to myself, and this was just for fun (since i have a job po hehe) i spent the last 10days conceptualizing how to make the booth, hunting down materials, hammering lol, become a carpenter, painter, designer... two days at the art mart was super tiring but fulfilling!!! Thank you to everyone who joined in the fun. will there be next? idk maybe? hire me, maybe?
♬ Tu m'as trop menti (From "The French Dispatch") - Chantal Goya
Since launching in mid-February, Portraits! by Loren has serviced three pop-ups, two company events, one wedding, and one birthday.
Also read: 10 Cool Art Galleries to Visit In Makati
Portraits by Loren: How does it work?
This is how Portraits! by Loren works, as visually explained by Mendoza’s art.
Portraits! by Loren offers two services: a one-pose portrait for P300 and a three-pose portrait for P400. You will be charged P150 for every additional person. Upon payment, Loren will hand you a token to be inserted inside the booth.
Sit tight and wait for the instruction to appear on the mirror in front of you.
From the other side of the mirror, Mendoza will be flashing cards from her mobile phone: “Let’s start!” Your cue to pose: “First pose! Hold still.”
It will usually take Mendoza about three minutes to finish drawing each pose, but the whole process could take longer since she likes to keep it a fun and interactive experience for everyone involved.
Once finished, you’re free to to exit the portrait booth and wait for the photo strip to come out in a few seconds. Enjoy this new art you have of yourself!
"The uglier my drawings look, the more it satisfies me,” Mendoza told SPOT.ph when asked to describe her art style. She also makes it a point to draw a person’s cute outfits and fun accessories—anything that can show more of the subject's personality. “I like putting in a lot of details on facial expressions and imperfections.”
You can catch Portraits! By Loren at her next pop-up events on May 19 in the BGC Art Mart at Alvero Central Plaza and on May 24 to 26 at San Lorenzo Place Mall in Makati City.
Behind the screen
Mendoza was an art director for an ad agency in 2021 before she went into freelance. Since quitting, she’s been able to illustrate children’s books, create music video animations, and of course, come up with the concept of Portraits! by Loren.
Portaits! By Loren was actually birthed as a parting gift to the Philippines. Mendoza is set to live and start her married life in the U.S. by mid 2023, and this is her way of saying goodbye to her home country.
She’s been wanting to make live portraits since 2017. The first time she got her hand in that was in Hong Kong, where she did live portraits at public parks for free. Inspired by international artists with the same concept, she went on to build a portrait booth of her own.
“I blindly booked a slot at BGC Art Mart in February, even with zero progress on the booth whatsoever,” Mendoza said. “When they got back to me that I got in the final list of artists, I had less than 10 days left to make it happen.”
On conceptualizing the booth: “I wanted it to scream Loren, I wanted it to be orange, I wanted it to have a photo strip option. Honestly, it was a mix of all my favorite touches from different inspirations and my personal preferences.”
The portrait booth was a success, but it’s nowhere near the fulfillment Mendoza feels working behind the mirror.
“It's super fun seeing the smiles from the people I draw! Behind the scenes, I get to witness sweet moments from couples, inside jokes between friends, and parents giving kids a new core memory,” Mendoza said. “I want to make sure I capture those in the drawings.”
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