OPAV recognizes Cebuana ‘Rubik’s cube portrait artist”

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) recognized a 19-year-old Cebuana from Daanbantayan, Cebu Mel Ann Shane Lauron for her unique artworks using Rubik’s cubes to create various portraits of some famous figures including super heroes.

OPAV secretary Michael Dino gave Lauron the Plaque of Appreciation to support the young artist.  Dino was glad to learn about Lauron’s artworks that went viral on social media and has 25M views on YouTube. 

“I really would like to support you guys (artists). It’s my first time to hear of someone who does this in Cebu or in the Visayas,” Dino told Lauron in a meet and greet event recently.

Dino commissioned Lauron to make Rubik’s cube portraits of him, President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and encouraged her to finish college even as she continues with her hobbies in art.

Philanthropist Augusto Go, president of the University of Cebu has also promised to give Lauron a full scholarship for her college education. Go, who was with Secretary Dino during the recognition of Lauron, said that talented young people like her deserve to get support like a scholarship.

Lauron shared that it was only in January this year when she thought of using the puzzle cube as a medium for her artwork.  While waiting for the Rubik’s Cubes she had canvassed, she started learning and practicing how to make mosaic portraits using the puzzle cube.

“So, I made my first portraits (using Rubik's cubes) just last March,” she said in an interview. She said she has already made portraits of some international heroes, local artists and her parents.

Lauron has long been into arts. She has been into crafts making claw machines and vending machines using cardboard; a bahay kubo made of bamboo sticks and banana trunks; and portraits of super heroes using cardboard and banana leaves.

She features these creations on her YouTube channel, I’m Yowawerts, which now has 110,000 subscribers and over 25M views.  She usually features her various artworks in her channel, which she said has a following of several viewers from abroad. (Photos: OPAV/Lauron's FB)