"Sugar Scream"
acrylic on canvas · 2024 62 views
Made by a human
Ely Mesa certifies having made this artwork by hand, with no AI-generated imagery.
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“Sugar Scream” is a fusion of Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Eiichiro Oda’s Sugar from One Piece. In this acrylic painting, Sugar — the girl who turns everyone into toys — is caught in her own moment of shock. Her eyes wide, her mouth frozen in the iconic scream, she is no longer the one who causes fear, but the one who feels it. The swirling, nightmarish background of Munch’s original work is reimagined in candy colors — melting pinks, toxic greens, and sugary pastels — to reflect her devil fruit power and childlike yet terrifying world. The painting plays on irony: Sugar, who makes others scream and be forgotten, is now the one screaming to be remembered. It captures that exact panel in One Piece where her composure breaks — when she is shocked and loses control. Through anime expression and classical composition, Mesa Jr. explores how even the most powerful can be vulnerable, and how sweetness can turn into horror in a single second. It’s not just a scream. It’s Sugar’s scream. exibited on BALAI MARIA INTRAMUROS MANILA 2024
Ely Mesa is a Filipino contemporary painter from Caloocan City, Philippines. Working primarily in acrylic on canvas, his practice is defined by a unique fusion of anime culture and iconic classical paintings. Known for his distinctive works “Bulmaliza” and “Sugar Scream,” Mesa Jr. reimagines familiar masterpieces through a modern, pop-culture lens. By blending the expressive energy of anime with the timeless composition of famous paintings, he creates vibrant, surreal narratives that are both nostalgic and fresh. “Bulmaliza” and “Sugar Scream” embody his signature style — bold colors, playful distortion, and layered symbolism. His paintings explore the sweetness and chaos of contemporary youth culture, where fantasy meets reality and tradition collides with modern identity. A Malabon-based artist, Mesa Jr. draws inspiration from everyday life, internet culture, and art history. His goal is to make classical art more relatable to a new generation while elevating anime aesthetics into fine art. Ely Mesa continues to develop his body of work, establishing himself as an emerging voice in the Philippine contemporary art scene who bridges the gap between high art and pop culture.
Erick Encinares
