Arts & Culture
Just Millennial Things: “Memes” On Your Timeline
Since its birth, memes have been a topic for laughs by many. If you didn’t get the meme you’d be callled a “normie” and sometimes if you’re not laughing at a meme or editing one to fit your humor, you’re probably the “meme-able” one. How we communicate has truly evolved through social media, and interpreting memes and actually understanding them and using them as a form of communication reassures that.

If you understand the humor behind certain photos with captions edited into them shared by thousands, well, congratulations! You’re still part of this generation. These posts are dubbed as “memes”, it is referred to as a “catchphrase, concept or an activity” that eventually found its way to being a “piece of media that eventually spreads”. If there’s one thing that’s true about these forms of media, it’s that it’s humorous, to say the least.
Memes are manipulated and edited clips from movies, or photos from paparazzi that mirror everyday situations of the ordinary person. It is a product of creativity that eventually clicks towards the culture and environment one spreads it to.
Said to be coined in the year 1976, Richard Dawkins had shared that these memes on the Internet are a “hijacking of the original idea”, which would prove that the evolution and mutation of these media are the very things that support its existence.
There are so many memes born in a span of a week sourced from famous events, TV shows and of course, in unusual circumstances. Even if there are some that have failed to crack us up or have left the internet world forever, there are some memes that stuck with most netizens and lived on long enough for us to scroll through on our “TLs” (timelines) a couple of times.
Classical Art Memes
Photo: Sherdog Forums
Art appreciation and meme-loving is a mix we can all enjoy. Take for example these classical art memes that truly speak to this generation’s woes and is relatable to our everyday experiences and “feels”.
Even if these art were made ages ago, their meanings (or how we interpret them) still holds true until this day. In this world of screens, it’s still worth our while to go over originals on canvas that are national treasures.
Kim Kardashian Memes
Photo: Gabriel Zamora on Twitter
We all love her for her and her family’s reality TV show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and also because of her merchandise and cosmetics line. Except for all the attention she’s getting about her behind, there are some clips from the TV show that portray Kim as a “meme-able” gal.
Buff Kim is just one of the memes going around social media that have truly made us think Kim’s more than just this Barbie girl in her fabulous and expensive Barbie world.
“Is This A Pigeon” Meme
Photo: inews.co
This meme was picked out from a scene in a Japanese anime TV series “The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird”, and it was about how the protagonist in the series mistakenly identified a butterfly as pigeon. From then on, in most social media sites, it is used to describe sarcastic confusion on things.
When you do not know how to respond to your clueless friend, just go on over an editing app and make yourself a new meme featuring your friend and their dubieties.
Distracted Boyfriend Meme
Photo: Reverend Scott on Twitter
This famous photo started off as a stock photo you could see with just one click away on Google when you’d want a sample photo of different happenings and activities.
The source image, taken by photographer Antonion Guillem, has the description “Disloyal man with his girlfriend looking at another girl” before it even went into the spotlight in the “meme world”. This meme is used when one’s wanting something other than what one already has, hence, the disloyalty in the relationship reference.
Kermit the Frog Memes
What we know as a cartoon character back in the day has now reincarnated itself to fit the new generation. If you’re frequently on Twitter, you’ve probably known how the latest “chika” is now in the form of the word “tea”, which gladly fits this Muppet’s image right here, who’s sipping a cup of Lipton tea and talking about “hypocrisy” and “stupidity” of different people.
Netizens mostly use it to “throw shade” at different people they either hate or would want to start a feud with. Well, Kermit’s got to do all the talking about this “tea”. You need to spill!
Salt Bae Meme
“Salt Bae” is actually Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe, who became viral for his video while fabulously sprinkling salt on the carved steak he was cooking up. He is long known to be prepping his meals in the sassiest ways, often called a “theatrical” preparation of food.
The meme can be used in a number of different ways. It may be taken literally as to sprinkling something on someone like (“K”s to your boyfriend when you’re mad), or it could mean that one’s really being #extra just like chef!
Mocking Spongebob Meme
Photo: PassionX
Also known as “Spongemock”, this particular image was sourced from the episode of the animated comedy series SpongeBob SquarePants called “Little Yellow Book”. In the episode, this meme was born because of Squidward when he happens to go over SpongeBob’s diary, discovers that whenever SpongeBob sees plaid, he acts like a chicken!
This mocking meme is paired with captions with alternating upper and lower case letters comprising a sentence.
Since its birth, memes have been a topic for laughs by many. If you didn’t get the meme you’d be callled a “normie” and sometimes if you’re not laughing at a meme or editing one to fit your humor, you’re probably the “meme-able” one. How we communicate has truly evolved through social media, and interpreting memes and actually understanding them and using them as a form of communication reassures that.
Featured Photo Credits: marketingturkiye.com.tr
Arts & Culture
Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art

by Jing Ramos |
Oj Hofer, our fashion contributing editor, is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of the Philippines. Though he began painting at the age of eight, his artistic journey took a transformative turn in 2013. While volunteering as a costume designer for Siddhartha: The Musical, he encountered Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s One-Stroke Calligraphy, sparking a deep devotion to Japanese sumi-e painting and kanji calligraphy. Over the years, he refined his craft, using his art to share the Dharma through exhibitions while supporting the Hsing Yun Educational Foundation. In 2022, his spiritual path deepened at Nan Tien University, where he embraced Zen and Humanistic Buddhism, shaping his artistic philosophy.

“Plum Blossoms in Moonlight.” Serigraphy on abaca.
In his recent works, Hofer merges traditional calligraphy with serigraphy, drawing inspiration from his friend Charles Lahti—an internationally recognized New York-based painter and printmaker. Lahti, known for his collaborations with post-war American artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol, and LeRoy Neiman, introduced Hofer to silkscreen techniques. Through a workshop Lahti conducted in Cebu—arranged by their mutual friend Greg Urra—Hofer integrated silkscreen into his Zen artworks, particularly those on abaca.

“The Circle of Harmony” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.
Hofer’s cross-disciplinary approach challenges conventional Zen aesthetics. His layered paintings on abaca may seem far from tranquil at first glance, but closer contemplation reveals a meditative core. His serigraph of an Enso circle, for example, initially appears chaotic, filled with Tang Dynasty poetry and overlapping, repetitive forms. Yet, by focusing on a single calligraphic element, the viewer experiences a moment of clarity—a glimpse of awakening within the visual complexity.

“Monkey Mind” Serigraphy and Calligraphy on abaca.
Even more engaging is his diptych Monkey Mind. At odds with the traditional Zen emphasis on negative space, this piece is deliberately busy, reflecting the restless nature of the mind. A distracted viewer may struggle to find a focal point, but one attuned to emptiness and presence will perceive clarity amidst the seeming disarray.

Ink and intention—creating calligraphy in support of one of my advocacies.
By fusing Zen philosophy with the discipline of serigraphy, Hofer invites his audience to look beyond surface impressions and discover stillness within movement, balance within complexity. His art does not merely depict Zen—it embodies the paradoxes at its core, offering a path to mindfulness through the act of seeing and the experience of doing.
Arts & Culture
What is Sappia? The Rice Myth Goddess of Bohol Who Helped Feed the People During a Great Famine

by Emma Gomez
The story began when the people of Bohol started to experience hunger and famine. All the livestocks were inedible and the fields were dried out leaving only weeds planted on the ground. The people prayed to the goddess of mercy, Sappia, to ask for food.

Sappia, the rice myth goddess of Bohol
Sappia, from the heavens, heard the cries of the people. She saw the dense population of weeds and offered to help them. Sappia thought of nourishing the weeds to be edible and healthy for the people of Bohol. Straightaway, she sprinkled the weed with milk from her bossom. She emptied each breast until blood came out. Before she left, she whispered to the weeds that they may be nourished and be able to feed the people.
When harvest season came, the people of Bohol quickly gathered the nourished weeds. They observed that the ones sprinkled with milk were white, while the other were red. They called the new plant rice and they replanted these in honor of Sappia, and for the people to devour.
Arts & Culture
Kimsoy’s Canvas of a Lifetime in Full Display

by Diana Gillo
There is nothing more fascinating than seeing an artist’s lifetime of work in one room. Such is the experience in Jose “Kimsoy” Yap’s third solo exhibit entitled “Kimsoy: Episodes of Mastery,” at Galerie Raphael Cebu. This serves as the truest form of homage to his enduring journey, showcasing works that span over decades.

Kimsoy with his student and muse, Zhara Rivera Mercado, at the entrance of Galerie Raphael
The exhibit speaks greatly of Kimsoy’s evolution as an artist, with his shifting mediums and remarkable variety of subjects. His creations range from heartfelt portraits of individuals he encountered along his journey to detailed landscapes inspired by the different walks of his life. The room’s layout carries the weight of his years of craft with one wall lined with pastels, another with watercolors, and another with oil painting.

As the River Flows Onward by Kimsoy Yap 2020 | Oil on canvas | 82×48 inches
The exhibit transcends beyond just the commemoration of Kimsoy’s masterful periods. It wanders more into a sense of intimacy reflecting Kimsoy’s life’s journey—from his roots as a young boy in Negros Oriental, through his pursuit of greater artistic mastery in New York, to his prominence in Cebu’s art scene. All his work freehanded, created both with his left and right hand, depicts the ways in which we all leave traces of ourselves in our work and in the world.

A Friend of Mine 1979 | watercolor on paper | 24×18 inches

In a Relaxed Mood 1977 | water color on paper | 16×19.5 inches
The opening ceremony featured Ambassador Jose Mari Cariño, alongside special guests Ivy Ang Gabas, Paolo Li, Angbetic Tan, Laurie Bouquiren of the Visayas Art Fair, and Valerie Go of Galerie Raphael Cebu. The exhibit is open until March 21, 2025.
-
People2 months ago
The Cardinals–an Amazing Gallery of Portraits on Cardinals in the Philippines by Artist Jun Impas
-
QuickFx3 weeks ago
Hill Station Baguio-Mitos Benitez-Yñiguez Raises the Bar with a Gastronomic Experience in a Cultural Heritage Building
-
Style1 month ago
Filippo Summer/Spring 2025 Menswear Collection-Fashion Designer Phillip Rodriguez Stays on Top of the Game
-
Prime Target3 months ago
Carlo Gabiana—The Illustrated Man Makes a Mark on Cebu’s Tattoo Scene
-
Arts & Culture3 months ago
Chaos and Clarity: Zen Aesthetic in Oj Hofer’s Art
-
Beauty & Wellness2 months ago
The Lowdown on IV Drips–Dr. Victoria Jordan Sarmiento Opens Krowne Premiere Medical Aesthetics to Promote Overall Well-being
-
Prime Target2 months ago
Jamie Gellor–A Multihyphenate at the Intersection of Business, Beauty, and Wellness
-
QuickFx2 months ago
Art Beat–Maris Holopainen returns to the Original Qube Gallery Crossroads with a Smash Hit in Unscattered Voices
You must be logged in to post a comment Login