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Inspired By Loose Quezon City Ostrich, Netizens Create Artworks Showing Its Antics

Artworks inspired by a loose Quezon City ostrich


As if 2020 couldn’t get stranger due to the pandemic, an ostrich running loose in a private village in Quezon City has proven that the times we’re in can get stranger indeed.

On a bright, sunny day, the last thing on anyone’s mind along a now-iconic street was to come across the world’s largest bird. But after netizens saw the news about an ostrich running down this street after its owner lost control of the bird, they were inspired to create artwork in tribute to this unusual event. 

Quezon City Ostrich GIF
Image adapted from: Dino Rivera


Ostrich inspires netizens to create art


Quezon City OstrichImage credit: @MikuraDraws 

Netizen artists who for some reason couldn’t get the ostrich out of their minds created art of the running bird. For example, artist @MikuraDraws pictured the part of a viral video where the ostrich was being chased in a cute, minimalistic artwork.

However, instead of a dog like many of us first believed, it was a goat that actually ran after the bird. This was an honest mistake that @MikuraDraws addressed in her next Twitter post.

 

Quezon City Ostrich
Image credit: @janjancomics 

Along with this Jumanjilike occurrence, netizens also noticed that the ostrich made the biggest headlines yesterday alongside an alleged corruption scandal involving state health insurance organization PhilHealth. Artist @janjancomics reminded us that we shouldn’t forget to keep up with how this news event develops, even while we are having a good laugh at the flightless bird.

Quezon City Ostrich
Image credit: @wmatawaran 

As if to create a classic portrait for the ostrich, artist @wmatawaran captured the elegance of its long neck in a digital painting that resembled a famous Johannes Vermeer portrait. Ostrich With A Pearl Earring, anyone?

The original Girl With A Pearl Earring portrait by Johannes Vermeer
The original Girl With A Pearl Earring portrait by Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675)
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Jklamo

Quezon City Ostrich
Image credit: @kenrey267

Artist @kenrey267 called the bird a “Pandemic Ostrich” in a black-and-white drawing, in which he added a quarantine pass hung around the ostrich’s neck as if it had permission to travel around Quezon City during the MECQ. His image also featured the ostrich saying “I want to leave 2020 na!!!” (“I want to leave 2020 already!!!”), echoing what many Filipinos have been feeling throughout this pandemic year. 


This lost ostrich is all of us in 2020 


We can all agree that 2020 isn’t the best year for us due to this health crisis and community quarantines. So this bird running lost along a street has become an apt representative of our general 2020 vibe – tired of being cooped up at home, and just needing to let loose. 

Let’s occupy ourselves in a less risky manner than the ostrich did, though – check out our list of things to do during quarantine here, and stay safe at home or masked at all times when out.

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Cover image adapted from: Dino Rivera, @kenrey267