Healing and ecology in art

Visually engaging, ecologically friendly, and mentally healing. These purposes converge in mixed-media art.

In DAILY TRIBUNE’s Pairfect, educator and art therapy practitioner Melanie Libatique shared how themes of ecology and healing come together through her works.

Sustainability becomes intentional in her practice, as creating mixed-media sculptures and installations often involves recycling and upcycling “those things that we throw away after the process of making things,” she explained.

“So I make it into an assemblage. We can glue it. I can use nails or screws to put things together for the composition, repurposed, rejected materials,” she added.

But beyond healing the planet, Libatique’s art also turns inward, focusing on psychological well-being. A Special Education teacher with a background in counseling psychology, she found another dimension in her art.

She emphasized that her foundation made her more conscious of art as a channel for emotions such as anger and fear, rather than dwelling on negativities like tension and stress.

In working with children who struggle to express emotions verbally, Libatique believes sensitivity and acceptance are essential. “Accept the child as he is when he comes into the classroom, and then try to make a safe environment for him,” she stressed, adding that every child is unique and adults should be genuine in dealing with them.

“Let the child lead,” she shared. “Let the story unfold.” For this, she uses unstructured materials that enhance creativity like clay, paint, blocks, or sand, which she believes aid in the healing process.

Libatique explained that children and a "child in the person" are always in her mind when she creates her masterpieces. By blending art, education, and advocacy, she hopes her work becomes relatable in a way that helps the younger generation regulate their emotions and express themselves without causing harm.