WITH events like Komiket and Sticker Con coming up, it’s hard not to count down the days when art fans will once again be spending money on stickers, tote bags, and key chains galore. These events are a great way to get to know artists within the Philippine community. They can meet well-known artists like Tarantadong Kalbo, or get to discover new ones like Sunog Baga!

Sunog Baga is an art account led by Jan Charlemagne, a 21-year-old Multimedia Arts major studying at CIIT Philippines. Best known for relatable sticker packs themed around things like the gay lingo and graphic designer struggles, it’s easy to see how Jan has been able to find an audience for her items. 

How it all started

Jan started out as a traditional artist producing watercolors, but later decided that this was not for her. 

I took up Fine Arts first but then realized that I don’t think that purely doing traditional art was for me, especially in a course that had a lot of ‘purists,’ so I shifted to Multimedia Arts”

Jan Charlemagne

In her new course, she found what she truly loves doing, which is graphic design. 

“It’s quite funny since I just started learning graphic design last 2022, but I’m very eager to learn more and get better at it,” she said.  

Before Sunog Baga was born, Jan was well-known online for being a piercer. It was only in August of 2022 that she started going down this new graphic design path, leaving behind the piercing business for good.

The road to success

In 2022, Jan posted a TikTok video that garnered over 35,000 views overnight. Featured in the video were her two sticker packs, “Bading Nostalgia” and “Cubao: Center of the Universe.” 

Sunog Baga’s Bading Nostalgia stickers are a hit

“For ‘Bading Nostalgia,’ I came up with the designs by thinking of my ‘gay awakening’ shows, and incorporated common phrases used by the LGBTQIA+ community,” she explained.

On the other hand, her “Cubao: Center of the Universe,” sticker pack started “as an attack on myself.”

Cubao-themed stickers resonate with Jan

“Back when I had colored hair, people would always say, ‘Uy, do you know Ramona Flowers?’ or ‘Uy, you look like Ramona Flowers,’ and most of the time, the Ramona Flowers girlies are associated with Cubao Expo,” she said. 

Ramona Flowers is a character in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World who sports vividly colored hair.

Recently, Jan was also able to expand her beloved sticker packs by making her graphic-design-themed keychains available as stickers, too.

“ ‘I ❤ Graphic Design (Help)’ showcases the common struggles of graphic designers with the filenames. And of course, I included the meme, ‘graphic design is passion-slash-prison,” she said. 

Graphic designers can definitely relate to these

When asked which design of hers was her favorite, Jan immediately said that it would have to be “Bading Nostalgia.” 

“It’s what started everything in Sunog Baga,” she said. “It resonates with a lot of people as well, and I really do like making an impact on people. I was really happy when it got a lot of recognition during my first Komiket last December.” 

Sunog Baga’s artworks for sale

Getting better and better 

Despite her rocky start and uncertainty when she first left the piercing business, anyone can see that Jan’s shift to her art career has been a huge hit. 

Whether it be quirky sticker packs, ethereal-looking earrings, or political art prints that try to bring awareness to the masses, Sunog Baga has it all. 

Those who want to check out Sunog Baga’s designs can catch Jan at this year’s Sticker Con, to be held on April 29 to 30 at White Space Manila, Makati City. 

She will be debuting new sticker designs for everyone there.