Upcycled collage art uses what many would call “waste” as the main materials to create visually compelling or appealing art. Instead of ending up in the garbage can and, eventually, the landfill, a termite-riddled vintage St. Theresa’s College yearbook circa 1970s was salvaged, and the pages carefully cleaned up to preserve the pristine and naïve beauty of the graduating students turned in an upcycled collage artwork.
The photos exemplify the classy and elegant ladies of yesteryears, their faces radiant even if the names of some were already obliterated. The images were complemented with chosen pieces of paper originally kept for such purpose: packaging boards for base, accents using pages of old books, images from books or magazines, rice paper, washi stickers, die-cut sheets, pressed wild flowers and many more.
Collage art is more than just torn pieces of paper glued together on a sheet.
Most of the time, they go through a process of selection, from texture, colors, images, to cutting and tearing. The materials are then layered carefully to create random designs.
In this set, the vintage images from the Theresian yearbook served as the focal point of each collage. The lasting quality of the printed yearbook pages created vivid images that blend or contrast with the surrounding random papers.
The upcycled collage artworks are sold at Etsy to raise funds for the Bituen Volunteer’s reading caravan program. The program distributes quality books to children as well as school supplies to those who request them not only to encourage readers, but also to inspire families to seek a better life.
