How can a canvas full of intricate lines and shapes convey a profound message? To visual artist Paulina Luz Sotto, the power of lines in abstraction are but simple elements imbued with their own beauty.

For most of her life, being an artist never really crossed Paulina’s mind. Despite growing up in the same roof with her National Artist grandfather Arturo Luz, she somehow believed that her chances of working full-time in the art industry were slim.

A child to TV host Vic Sotto and former actress Angela Luz, Paulina graduated cum laude from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Communication. It was not until December 2015 when she discovered her fascination with lines. Eventually, an old friend asked if her abstract paintings were for sale, and that’s when her career in visual arts began.

In celebration of Mang Inasal’s 600th store milestone, the brand collaborated with Paulina for the store marker and jeepney art installation. The jeepney symbolizes the journey of Mang Inasal towards becoming a national icon in the quick service restaurant industry, with its Pinoy offerings and celebration of the Filipino dining culture.

Paulina Luz Sotto refers to the final design used for Mang Inasal’s store marker and jeepney art as “The Gridlock.”

“It is a play on different shapes and colors. I call this series Gridlock — not in reference to a traffic gridlock. To me, the imperfect shapes fit together in a way that they can’t be moved or adjusted, hence the series title. Aside from its clean aesthetic, the shapes also represent the different elements of Mang Inasal, big and small, coming together to form one cohesive unit. It may not be perfect, but it works,” Sotto shares.

The 28-year-old painter also said that even when she spent so much time with her grandfather, he really did not teach her technical things about art. “We’re both Scorpios. We like to be alone when we work, so he never tried to influence me in any way to be an artist.”

To Paulina, she just hopes that in the long-term, she would still be doing what her busy hands are on right now. “I just want to keep painting and follow what I’m feeling.”

Paulina Luz Sotto is now dedicated to her pursuit as a full-time visual artist. Having had three successful solo exhibits, alongside a few collective art shows, Sotto has now sold hundreds of abstract paintings in a span of four years. Well-known for her fascination of clean lines, all of Paulina’s paintings center on one belief: the beauty in simplicity.

Mang Inasal’s 600th store opened its doors on 8 November in Tambo, Lipa City, Batangas, where her grandfather, National Artist Arturo Luz, hails from.