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Solenn Heussaff released a statement a day after the photo promoting her art exhibit received disapproval from netizens.

On March 3, Solenn uploaded a photo to promote her third art exhibit called "Kundiman." According to the actress-painter, the exhibit will showcase her love for the Philippines and the Filipinos.

She said, ““Entitled 'Kundiman,' this exhibit expresses my love, appreciation, and hope for our country and our people.”

On March 4, Solenn deleted the photo from her account and issued her statement to express how she felt and what she learned after reading the comments online.

“I've been thinking a lot about the comments you guys left on the photo I posted. I know it sparked some debate and there were both good and bad takes on it.”

The Kapuso actress said that she wanted to apologize and expressed her intent when she created the photo.

“While I appreciate the encouragement some shared, I also want to apologize to those I have hurt. Wanted to shoot it in a typical street, those we drive by every day. Streets full of life, since all my paintings are about the people we see. Not the rich or the poor but people for who they are. Humanity.”

Solenn added that the painting behind her in the photo depicts growth and hope.

Photo source: solenn (IG)

“The choice of painting was to show the environmental side. The abundance and balance of what life was, but also growth and hope.“

Solenn said that she is taking full responsibility for the photo and shared that it was a learning experience for her.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Solenn Heussaff (@solenn)

“Though yes, art is subjective, and your thoughts made me more sensitive to different perspectives on my choice of setting (It wasn't a terrible marketing team, it was me, no one else to blame) and this really was a learning experience for me.”

In her post, Solenn explained that when she paints, her hope was to lend her voice and show the reality of Filipinos through art. Solenn also addressed the comments of netizens that she is romanticizing poverty in her paintings.

“It wasn't my intention to hurt or offend anyone. It was my hope that I could lend my voice and my art to show the reality of Filipinos. This is the heart and inspiration of all my paintings, both old and new.”

“I did not want to romanticize the poverty of the everyday Pinoy or the resiliency that we naturally have. I really hoped to honor our people by being truthful about the kind of life a lot of Filipinos live today and to show that Filipinos deserve better.”

In the end of her post, Solenn expressed her gratitude to people who helped her learn from this experience.

“Thank you for letting this be an eye-opener for me as well. And to those that I have offended, I am sorry.”

See more of Solenn's painting in this gallery: