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© 2026 Leven Sangalang

Work
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Rolling Stone

A dreamy, surrealist take on stories centred on modern Philippine culture and politics.

Role

Freelance Illustrator

Tools

Procreate

Adobe Photoshop

Duration

Nov 2024, Dec 2024, Feb 2025

Context

Illustration that enhances editorial storytelling

Rolling Stone needs no introduction: it is a household publication that tells stories shaping music, politics, and popular culture. Except this time, it takes place within or across the 7,100+ islands of the Philippine archipelago.

Design challenge

How might I illustrate cultural and political stories without being too on-the-nose or ambiguous?

How might I illustrate cultural and political stories without being too on-the-nose or ambiguous?

The work

Art and creative direction pointed each rendition to the right path

All artwork were finalised almost immediately after presenting their respective concepts—rough sketches and textual context—alongside the guidance of Rolling Stone's Creative Director.

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Heavily inspired by Dali, the striking surrealist art for Scams, Spies, and Lies… featured common office objects against a supposed POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operators) compound, then revealed to be a scam hub after a police raid.

Heavily inspired by Dali, the striking surrealist art for Scams, Spies, and Lies… featured common office objects against a supposed POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operators) compound, then revealed to be a scam hub after a police raid.

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Sketches demonstrating object blocking and composition alongside reference images. Familiar office equipment were chosen as they were easily recognisable to readers, while the green tint signalled a sense of corruption or toxicity.

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Final editorial art, as published on the Rolling Stone website and Instagram

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The page opener for the State of Affairs section in the March 2025 Maiden Issue featured a local fisherman’s boat carrying the Filipino people, travelling across a vast sea littered with pre-election campaign materials. This marketing technique drives not only pollution but also voter manipulation, exacerbating the broader inadequate education in the country. Beneath the boat, an indelible inked thumbprint that ripples.

The page opener for the State of Affairs section in the March 2025 Maiden Issue featured a local fisherman’s boat carrying the Filipino people, travelling across a vast sea littered with pre-election campaign materials. This marketing technique drives not only pollution but also voter manipulation, exacerbating the broader inadequate education in the country. Beneath the boat, an indelible inked thumbprint that ripples.

[ Visit website ]

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Three sketches for concept selection already incorporated blue (signifies peace) and red (war), the dominant colours of the Philippine flag, Other concepts imagine politician-plastered billboards.

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Final art, as seen in print

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Who Should Be a National Artist? reimagines the National Artist medal as a flying saucer carefully selective of the next successful awardee amongst other candidates.

Who Should Be a National Artist? reimagines the National Artist medal as a flying saucer carefully selective of the next successful awardee amongst other candidates.

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Concept sketch and reference image, the latter elevating the former when mixed together

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Final editorial art, as published on the Rolling Stone website and Instagram

[ Visit Instagram ]