#PaintBackTheirHands: Artists reimagine hands on defaced same-sex couple ad before V-Day

Clothing brand Bench, in a move to recognize all kinds of love, put up a series of billboards along EDSA showing famous couples, romantic or familial or what have you.

 

However, not everyone could appreciate the sentiment, as vandals painted over the interconnected hands of Summit Media creative director Vince Uy and lover Nino Gaddi.
 

Instead of throwing around spiteful words about the act, artists Thysz Estrada and Rob Cham started the hashtag #PaintTheirHandsBack to turn the act of hatred into one of love.

 

"I learned about the billboard yesterday. I posted congrats to my friends who actually made the ad. Then some replied that they can't see the boys' hands anymore," Estrada told GMA News Online through chat on Friday.

 

After a friend posted a photograph of the vandalized work on Twitter, she immediately summoned friends on Facebook to discuss the heinous deed.

 

While chatting with friends, Cham happened upon the photo and joked that they should vandalize the photograph.

 

"I commented on the photo Thysz shared saying we should vandalize it, paint it over, kahit Mickey Mouse hands, because painting over the actual thing with photorealistic intent is hard. Thysz told me to do it anyway, kahit Photoshop," Cham said.

 

Another friend named Raymond Ang then suggested that they turn it into an "internet thing", leading to Thysz creating the hashtag #PaintTheirHandsBack.

 

The post quickly gained steam as more and more artists responded with creative—and oftentimes cheeky—responses to the challenge.