Crystals, Circuits, and Creative Futures Workshop participants with the artists, Sam Feleo (in green blouse) and Roan Alvarez (in striped shirt and black coat). Also in the photo is Dr. Diego Maranan (center-right), former FICS Dean and proponent of the FICS Futurist-in-Residence Program, and Dr. Shari San Pablo (beside Sam Feleo), the current Program Development Associate of the FICS Futurist-in-Residence Program.
Artists Samantha Feleo and Roan Alvarez collaborated to show how crystal health and growth can be monitored and manipulated through DIY circuits. In a workshop held on 8 August 2025, at the UPOU-DICT Building in Diliman, Quezon City, the artists shared their love for crystals and freeform circuits with attendees, composed of educators, students, and art enthusiasts.
Feleo and Alvarez are resident artists under the Futurist Program of the UPOU Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS).
Feleo gave an overview and lecture on crystal growing, while Alvarez demonstrated crafting a simple freeform circuit used to monitor crystal growth. Seventeen workshop participants were provided with their own crystal “seeds” in plastic jars, copper wires, and LED lights to build their freeform circuit.
BAMS student participants name the plastic jars containing their own crystal seed.
As part of the workshop output, the participants’ “creations” would be included in Sam Feleo’s thesis exhibition at the UP Fine Arts Parola Gallery on 27 August 2025.
Feleo, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidate from UP Diliman, revealed that her love of crystal making started at a young age. As to why crystals were her focus for her residency and thesis work, Feleo says, “Prioritizing the agency of non-human entities such as crystals shifts the focus from the artist as sole creator to a collaborative process with nature. By embracing this approach, we open new avenues for artistic expression and establish a more profound connection with and respect for the environment.”
Alvarez, a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) graduate herself, is a self-taught freeform circuit builder. Her interactive works frequently incorporate light-emitting technologies, microcontrollers, sensors, and other electronic components, enabling audiences to engage with varied narratives that explore the relationship between humans and technology.
Roan Alvarez demonstrates making a simple freeform circuit.
Once the attendees finished making the circuits and assembling their output, they were guided to the UPOU Bukas Lab, the space where the artists work for the duration of their residency. The participants viewed the crystal pieces that Feleo had produced and the monitoring circuits Alvarez had assembled.
Feleo demonstrated how the chemical solution used in crystal growing was made using monoammonium phosphate (MAP). Small ceramic sculptures, which the artist created to be used as a substrate for some of her crystal creations, were also on display. The participants learned how changes in the crystal-growing environment affect crystal formation, providing insights into the conditions that produce the most striking formations.
The workshop output: a simple circuit placed on top of a crystal seed.
RC, a junior high school art teacher, found the workshop to be refreshing as it was process-oriented, where participants were carefully guided to produce an output by the end of the event. “As a teacher and an artist, the idea of an interdisciplinary collaboration with Ms. Roan on circuit arrangements and [Ms. Sam] on the use of chemicals [to make crystals], and learning a new skill, it’s not the usual workshop. I’m thankful for this kind of learning activity.”
Ryle, an art enthusiast, found value in the fact that they could own the process and replicate it themselves if they wanted to.
Sam and Roan’s works can be viewed from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Bukas Lab, 2nd floor UPOU-DICT Building, Diliman, Quezon City, until 20 August 2025.
Contributed by Joy Abigail Rebulanan | Edited by Shari Eunice San Pablo and Roda Tajon
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