This Artist Sells Handmade, Eco-Friendly Art Supplies

All of her materials are all locally sourced too!

- Jessica Pag-Iwayan

For years now, the call for sustainable living is strong and it doesn’t just apply to businesses but also to every lifestyle. In the arts, creatives are encouraged to go greener by choosing sustainable art materials, and to practice repair and recycle.

No wonder, more and more art supply companies and even smaller shops are following this path, as creators are now looking for this type of materials. Locally, a young artist named Iana Cris Forbes has built an online art shop that sells handmade, eco-friendly art supplies. Recently, the beautiful images of her products even went viral online. In a conversation with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle, Iana shares how her journey to this path began and the things she has learned along the way.

It runs in the blood

If her her last name rings a bell, that’s because she is related to contemporary artist Romeo Forbes Jr. Under his wing, Iana explored the colorful world of visual arts at a young age and she learned to love it even more as she grew older.

“I started painting when I was a child,” she says. “My late brother, Romeo Forbes Jr., was a known Filipino artist and I started training under him when I was six years old. Later on, I studied Fine Arts at the University of the East.”