Istorya Studios: A Look at the Store Behind the Stories
by Aldea Rhae Martillano
A charming storefront in Guiguinto greets you with a pop of color in between houses, with a painted mural inviting any passerby to glance inside. This artist-led and Bulacan-based publisher, as well as bookshop, is fittingly called Istorya Studios. They are actually also known for having created card games based on Philippine history.
The sight that first welcomes you is a quaint reading area surrounded by shelves showcasing a nice selection of comics, graphic novels, children’s literature, fictional novels (of many different genres), poetry, and non-fiction Filipiniana books.
The layout of the place is almost cozy. As if you’re meant to walk around it the way someone visiting a park would, wholeheartedly admiring the scenic views they encounter on their path. The books are laid out like art that you’re meant to browse (and purchase) with care.
The bookshop is connected to a private reading lounge, where they hold free live book readings for people and kids in the community every Friday afternoon from 4 to 5 PM. Lucky enough to have visited on a Friday, the experience of watching the storybooks come to life under dim lights, together with alternating lively and soothing voices, was definitely worth it.
Get SOLIDARIDAD’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
They also allow people to volunteer for the storytelling, which ended up happening to me. It was fulfilling to watch and participate, leaving you with anticipation for the next time that you decide to stop by. Whether you end up as the storyteller or a part of the audience, there’s a place waiting for you.
A fun detail about the decor of the lounge involves an art installation depicting the OFW experience, hanging from the ceiling were the upper halves of Manananggals carrying images of suitcases.
Perhaps as a reminder of the parts of us (and possibly literal guts, in the Manananggal’s case) that will always be left at home. Especially for the people flying to far away places in order to provide for their loved ones, knowing that home is in their hearts and that their hearts are still at home.
In the opposite direction, a different door directs you to a different page of the place. Deeper inside the mini ecosystem of Istorya Studios, there is an art exhibit for paintings by different artists that can be viewed and then bought if any catches your eye (although that does depend on the painting’s availability). There’s a studio on the second floor with enough space for things like dance or theater practice.
There are also a few tables and chairs for you to rest on outside, while a different door leads you to Kape Lunan. Not only can you nourish the soul through all things art and books, but the stomach is also part of the package. The cafe’s ambience is striking, warm, and a haven for aesthetics.
Further up the stairs, with a few glass walls and tables upon tables of typewriters, is a room that acts as the home for the owners’ typewriter collection. Incredibly useful for when Istorya Studios holds their typewriter workshops, where you might nearly fall in love with the hypnotic click-clacks of the typewriter.
What awaits you on the uppermost floor is an art exhibit that inspires awe the moment the door opens. It’s spacious and full of art by the owners alongside some from their own collections as well. When you’ve finished exploring Istorya Studios, you find yourself full of excitement again. It creates a community in itself, a place for reading, art, and connections. Somewhere in time, you might take home more stories than the ones in the pages they sell.
