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MODULE 2
CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ART
AND THE NATIONAL ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
T he Philippines is blessed with diverse flora and fauna, and is populated by a
multisectoral society with multicultural backgrounds. The Philippines’ geography, history,
and people contribute to the art production that is one the finest in the world. Learning the
country’s art and its artists will broaden your understanding of who you are and where you
belong, as art is an instrument of identity. Do not fear that art is limited to the artistic and
creative because the need for art, be it the producer or the consumer of it, is stemmed in all
people; the need for beauty and expression is in you.
This unit begins with key concepts on identity and history to ground you on the role of the
terms selfhood and colonization affect the country’s artistic production. The proceeding topics
on the National Artists of the Philippines will introduce you to the exemplary lives of Filipinos
who have devoted most of their entire lives in the name of art.
LESSON 1: WHAT IS PHILIPPINE ART?
The Greek philosopher Aritotle may have provided theearliest assumptions of art as
linked to human instincts. In his Poetics, Aristotle claimed that humans have instincts for imitaion
and harmony. He described that these instincts are “lying deep in our nature”, and through imiation,
humans learn and experience pleasure. Art, then, may be defined as a human pursuit to iitate liife
and the world into something pleasing or beautiful.
Take a look at the landscape painting shown in Fig.1.1.
What is being imitated? What makes this
imitaion pleasing or beautiful? The painting is an
attempt at imitating the river and its surroudings, thus
becoming its subject. The way the colors are choses and
blended into the canvas accounts for the medium of the
painting. The subject and medium are two important
elements of an artwork that allow a person to
experience life, the world, and its beauty.
Because it is human nature to create art, here
are the forms of artistic expression that huans have
been able to produce.
PICTURE (Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, and Photography)
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This is a two-dimensional image of various subjects ranging from real-life images to the visually
abstract. It may be craeted using different media such as chalk, charcoal, graphite, ink, oil paint, and
watercolor.
SCULPTURE
This is a three-dimensional artwork that may be created using stone, marble, wood, and
concrete.
ARCHITECTURE
These are structures that meant to be used as shelter. The art of architecture relies on the
design and purpose of the structure.
MUSIC
This is the art form that appeals to the sense of hearing. Music is composed by combining
notes into harmony.
LITERATURE
This is the art form of language through the combined use of words, creating meaning and
experience.
THEATER
This is the art form of performance. Dramatic texts are portrayed on stage by actors and
actresses and are enhanced by props, lights, and sounds.
CINEMA
This art form is a technological translation of theater. In films, special effects are utilized to
enhance the storytelling.
DANCE
This is the art of the human form. The body is used, mobilized, and choreographed in a specific
time, form, and space.
LESSON 2: ART NOVEAUX: ART IN
CONTEMPORARY TIMES
What is Contemporary Art?
The J. Paul Getty Museum defines contemporary art as “art made and
produced by artists living today. Today’s artists work in and respond to a global environment
that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted.” With this definition,
you can picture the kind of art created by today’s contemporary artists as art that has a
world view and is sensitive to the changing times. Contemporary art today is not restricted
to the individual experience of the artist but is reflective of the world that we live in. in this
kind of art, you might see how events in different countries (e.g., in Europe or Africa) might
have an effect on a Filipino living in Naga or Tagbilaran.
Because art is produced by people and people are influenced by time, contemporary
art is a continuation practice that has evolved with the following new elements or principles:
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APPROPRIATION
When you see T-shirts with the image of Jose Rizal wearing shades or the walls of
Intramuros in canvas bags, existing artworks are “appropriated” to form another artwork.
The use of these prints, images, and icons to produce another art form is a feature of
contemporary art that combines the past with the present. By appropriation, the
contemporary artist revives interest to existing forms of art.
Fig. 2.1. A shirt that features Fig. 2.2. Johannes Vermeer’s
William Shakespeare, who is famous painting Girl with a Pearl
considered by many to be the Earring is given a modern take
greatest writer in the English with the selfie.
language.
PERFORMANCE
Performance of contemporary artists has evolved to “emphasize spontaneous,
unpredictable elements of chance,” according to the Walker Art Center. Performance artists
have tried to interpret various human activities, from ordinary activities such as chores,
routines, and rituals, to socially relevant themes such as poverty, commercialism, and war.
Fig. 2.4.
Yuan Moro
Ocampo
performing
The Shadow
Fig. 2.3. International Filipino Performance in Denmark.
artists Marilyn Arsem playing a dead person
at the Philippine International Peformance
Art Festival
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SPACE
How art transforms a space is now an occupation of contemporary artists. Have you
encountered a flash mob or sculpture installations in malls and parks? These are examples
of site-specific art forms wherein the art form is performed and positioned in specific spots,
especially in public places. Here are some examples of site-specific art forms.
Fig. 2.5. University students forming a star Fig. 2.6. A random 3D street art
to celebrate their institution’s centenary
HYBRIDITY
Contemporary artists are now as innovative as ever. In traditional painting, only a few
materials are of conventional use. Contemporary visual artists, on the other hand, may opt
to use coffee for painting or carve miniature sculptures using crayons. Hybridity in
contemporary art is the mixing of unlikely materials to produce an artwork. Look at the
following samples.
Fig. 2.7. A painting by Karen Fig. 2.8. Crayons are engraved
Eland using coffee as medium meticulously to create sculptures.
Fig. 2.9. This Mona
Lisa was made using
a typewriter.
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TECHNOLOGY
Technology is a reality in the present-day world, and contemporary artists have used
technology in the creation and dissemination of works of art. When MTV first went into the
airwaves in 1981, video became part of the human interaction. The video phenomenon was
further pushed by the debut of YouTube that allowed everyone with Internet connection to
post and share vides. Contemporary artists have used video and the Internet as a way of
propagating art.
Below is a screenshot of a recorded performance of the Philippine Madrigal Singers
singing a hit OPM song. Through video posting, sharing, and even live streaming, people from
all over can share and enjoy art:
Fig. 2.10. A screenshot of the Philippine Madrigal Singers
singing “PAngarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka” on YouTube
LESSON 2: THE NATIONAL ARTISTS OF
THE PHILIPPINES
An Artist for the Nation
In 1972, the Philippines names its first national artist-world-class painter
Fernando Amorsolo. The national artist award is a great honor given to the Filipino whose
life and works have contributed to the advancement of the country’s arts and letters.
The national artists then became part of the prestigious roster of the Order of
National Artists. NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) and CCP (Cultural
Center of the Philippines jointly administer the nomination and selection of the chosen
exemplary artists, who are conferred by the President of the country.
In 1972, Presidential Proclamation No. 1001, s. 1972 created and established
“the Award and Decoration of National Artist.” This law enabled the government “to give
appropriate recognition and prestige to Filipinos who have distinguished themselves and
made outstanding contributions to Philippine arts and letters.”
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What Does It Take to Be a National Artist?
The national Artist award is the country’s highest honor given to an artist who,
according to the NCCA, “embodies the nation’s highest ideals in the humanities and aesthetic
expression through the distinct achievements of individual citizens.”
The qualifications for a Filipino to be nominated and selected are very stringent.
Here are the qualifications for the National Artist award.
1. Living artists who are natural-born Filipino citizens at the time of nomination, as well
as those who died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino
citizens at the time of their death. Filipinos who have lost and reacquired Filipino
citizenship, through dual citizenship status for at least the minimum period of five
years, shall be eligible for nomination.
2. Artists who through the content and form of their works have contributed in building
a Filipino sense of nationhood.
3. Artists who have pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style, thus earning
distinction and making an impact on succeeding generations of artists.
4. Artists who have created a substantial and significant body of works and/or
consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic
expression or style.
5. Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through the following:
5.1. Prestigious national and/or international recognition, such as the Gawad CCP
para sa Sining, CCP Thirteen Artists Award, and NCCA Alab ng Haraya
5.2. Critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works
5.3. Respect and esteem from peers
What Does the Award Give?
As national artist of the Philippines, the individual is recognized for his or her
contribution to Philippine arts. According to the NCCA, the national artists will be given the
following:
1. The rank and title of National Artist, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines
2. The National Artist gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (
BSP) and citation
3. Lifetime emolument and material and physical benefits comparable in value to those
received by the highest officers of the land such as the following:
3.1. A minimum cash award of two hundred thousand pesos (P200 000), net of taxes
for living awardees, and a minimum cash award of one hundred fifty thousand
pesos (P150 000), net of taxes for posthumous awardees, payable to legal heir(s)
3.2. A minimum lifetime personal monthly stipend of thirty thousand pesos (P30 000)
3.3. Life insurance coverage for awardees who are still insurable
3.4. A state funeral benefit not exceeding P500 000
3.5. A place of honor, in line with protocular precedence, in state functions, national
commemoration ceremonies, and all other cultural presentations
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The National Artist Insignia
On the right is the insignia of the Order of
National Artists. It is a Grand Collar adorned by circular
links representing the arts. The main medallion
commemorates the sun and the colors of the Philippine flag.
The highly stylized three letter Ks stand for “katotohanan,
kabutihan, at kagandahan” (the true, the good, and the
beautiful).
Fig. 5.1. Insignia of the
Order of National
Artists
NATIONAL ARTIST AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO PARTICULAR AREAS
MUSIC
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DANCE
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THEATER
VISUAL ARTS
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LITERATURE
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FILM AND BROADCAST ART
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ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN, AND ALLIED ARTS
FASHION DESIGN
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LESSON 3: GAWAD SA MANLILIKHANG BAYAN
AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO PHILIPPINE ARTS
This lesson will discuss the Gawad sa Manlilikhang Bayan or the National Treasure
Awardees and their specific contribution in the Philippine Art. These artists received the recognition
for preserving the traditional art of the Philippines which kept the art alive even in the cotemporary
period.
LITERATURE
1. Ginaw Bilog
➢ a Hanunuo Mangyan poet from Mansalay Mindoro
➢ an advocate of preserving the traditional form of his
tribe called “ambahan”
***Ambahan is a kind of poem consisting of seven-
syllable lines which most of the time contains
messages of love and friendship. This poem is
passed on from generation to generation using
singing the lines or etching them on bamboo tubes.
➢ He kept the ambahan recorded both in bamboo
tubes and old notebooks
2. Federico Caballero
➢ A Panay-Bukidnon epic chanter who preserved his community’s oral tradition by
tediously documenting epics of his ancestors that are near in danger of disappearance.
***These epics, which tell stories
about mythical heroes and their
marvelous adventures, reflects the
rich cultural heritage of Panay-
Bukidnon
➢ Also known as “Nong Pedring”
➢ He did not just document those
folklores, but he chanted them as well
and passed them to younger
generation generations.
➢ His mother and great-
grandmother were the ones who
influenced him to be an epic chanter
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MUSIC/DANCE
1. Alonzo Saclag
➢ A master of dance and performing arts from Kalinga
➢ He did not receive any formal education in performing
arts but still he mastered the choreography and
musical instruments of Kalinga just by observation
and practice
➢ Through his efforts of lobbying to the local government
for about two years, he managed to convince them to
convert the abandoned provincial capitol building
into a museum that contains Kalinga artifacts
including traditional musical instruments like the gangsa or the Kalinga gong
➢ He also campaigned for the use of local costumes to school events and put up creative
presentations that helped children to learn folk songs.
➢ He established the Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe to ensure the music and dance of his
ancestors
2. Masino Intaray
➢Came from indigenous community in southern Palawan
➢He was a musician and a poet whose expertise were the basal, kulilal, and bagit.
***Basal is a kind of musical ensemble played during
the tambilaw, a ritual of rice sharing among the
Palawan people as an offering to the Lord of rice, and
during the tinapay, a rice wine drinking ceremony.
Basal is composed of the gimbal or tubular drum,
sanang or pair of small gongs, and one to agungs or
gongs with wide tunes. Non-musical instruments like
the stamping of feet or the percussion dance are also
one of the components of the basal ensemble.
***Kulilal is a lyric poem about love being sung to the
accompaniment of kusyapi, two-stringed lute, and
pagang, bamboo zither. A man and a woman from the
community play the kusyapi and pagang respectively.
***Bagit, also played with the accompaniment of
kusyapi, an instrumental music reflecting the sound
and movement of nature.
➢A notable story-teller and epic chanter
➢He chanted numerous epics, narratives, and myths of the Palawan for many nights
3. Samaon Sulaiman
➢ A Maguindanaoan musician from Mama sa Pano,
Maguindanao
➢ A master in playing the kutyapi, a two-stringed plucked
lute
***The kutyapi is one the most difficult to master
indigenous Filipino instrument, but he was able to play it
with grace and exemplary talent
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4. Uwang Ahadas
➢ An exemplary musician of the Yakan of Lamitan, Basilan whose
expertise dwell in playing the instrument called kwintangan kayu
***Kwintangan kayu is an instrument composed of five wooden logs of
different sizes, arranged from shortest to longest, and hung
horizontally. This is being played after the planting of rice to serenade
the palay. The music coming from the kwintangan kayu is believed to
cause bountiful harvest.
➢ He started at teaching his children and later on passes on his skills
to people beyond the borders of his community
➢ Despite having a defect in his eyesight and dimming vision,
managed to preserve and promote the music of Yakan even if it means
tiresome traveling from places to places
WEAVING
1. Darhata Sawabi
➢ A pis yabit weaver from barangay Parang, Jolo, Sulu
***Pis yabit is a square multi-colored traditional cloth
that serves as the head cover of the Tausug of Jolo.
Traditionally, it is used as clothing ornaments or
headdress of the Tausus men that symbolizes the
wearer’s rank in the society. However, in the
contemporary period, even women wear the clot as
accessories in traditional functions.
➢ They considered her as an expert in weaving due to her
well-crafted cloth with the remarkable intricacy of
design and evenness of weave.
2. Haja Amina Appi
➢ Master mat weaver of the Sama indigenous community from
Ungos Matata, Tawi-tawi.
***Mat weaving is one of the treasured traditions of the Sama
people. Their mat is made up of Pandan leaves which undergo
tedious processes from stripping, to sun drying, to dyeing, up to
weaving.
➢ Her mat’s designs are complicated and creatively crafted with
an interplay of hues
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3. Lang Dulay
➢ a tnalak weaver from the indigenous community of the
Tboli in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
***Tnalak is a kind of fabric made up of fine abaca fibers
weaved with different designs which reflect the tradition of
the Tboli. This cloth was once being bartered in exchange
for horses but due to commercialization, the tnalak
became popular and became the source of income of Tboli
weavers.
4. Magdalena Gamayo
➢ An Ilocano master weaver who came from Pinili, Ilocos
Norte.
➢ Her exepertise dwell in weaving high-quality Ilocos
textile called abel.
***Abel is a kind of blanket made up of cotton weaved in
different patterns.
➢ She started weaving at the age of 16
➢ Her handiworks were distinguishable to other abels
since they are finer, with more thread counts, and more
intricate designs with up to 5 thread colors.
5. Salinta Monon
➢ A Bagobo textile weaver from Bansalan, Davao del Sur
➢ She started weaving at the age of 12 through the
guidance of her mother
***The traditional Bagobo fabrics which are made up
of abaca fibers is the product of Salita.
➢ Due to her high-quality textiles and their intricate
designs, Salinta garnered the reputation of being the
best weaver in her community
METAL WORK
1. Eduardo Mutuc
➢ A mentalism from Apalit, Pampanga
➢ He created numerous wood-carving and metal
art with religious and secular themes
➢ He started wood carving house furniture when
he was 29
➢ He did intricate decorations for churches
➢ In doing metal work, he will first draw his
design on a sheet of paper then he would
transfer and carve it to a block of wood. He
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would then cover it with a sheet of silver and would carefully hammer the metal until it
copies the design of the wood. Then he would dip the metal into molten silver
CASQUE
1. Teofilo Garcia
➢ An Ilocano casque maker from San Quintin,
Abra
➢ Known for crafting high quality and
functional headpiece called tabungaw
***Tabungaw is made up of native gourd
called upo, rattan, and bamboo
➢ He combines and experiments with these
materials to come up with decay resistant,
elegant, and remarkable tabungaws
APPRECIATING THE ARTS 1
Exercise 1. Cite 5 Gawad sa Manlilikhang Bayan Artist and briefly discuss their
significant contributions in the Philippine Contemporary Art. Include pictures of them and
their works. Place it in a medium size bond paper.
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Exercise 2. Identify what/who is being described or defined in each statement.
1. It is a kind of poem consisting of seven-syllable lines which most of the time contains
messages of love and friendship.
2. This is a two-stringed plucked lute.
3. A ritual of rice sharing among the Palawan people as an offering to the Lord of rice.
4. It is the name of the dance troupe which Alonzo Saclag established.
5. This is a kind of fabric made up of fine abaca fibers weaved with different designs
which reflect the tradition of the Tboli.
6. She is the master of mat weaving of the Sama indigenous community from Ungos
Matata, Tawi-tawi.
7. This instrument is composed of five wooden logs of different sizes, arranged from
shortest to longest, and hung horizontally.
8. This is a square multi-colored traditional cloth that serves as the head cover of the
Tausug of Jolo.
9. He is known for crafting high quality and functional headpiece called tabungaw.
10. He is known as “The Boy Wonder of the Philippine Cinema”.
11. The Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture.
12. The master sculptor who introduced classical sculpture in the country.
13. She is the “Folk Dance Pioneer” of the country.
14. Her expertise dwell in weaving high-quality Ilocos’ textile called able.
15. He was known for his simple architectural designs consisting of clean lines and
functional curves.
Exercise 3.
Research on 5 still living National Artist Awardees and paste a picture of them. Write a
brief biography of them below their picture. Use a medium size bond paper for this
activity.
APPRECIATING THE ARTS 2
Exercise 1. You are a contemporary artist invited to join an international arts festival.
Choose a form of contemporary art that you want to create. Create that artwork with “a world
view and which shows sensitivity to the changing times.”
Exercise 2. Create a doodle notes of hope, positivity, and kindness through a chalk art.
Choose your own medium-may it be on a wall or along the street.
Exercise 3. You are a jewelry designer, and the Philippine government commissions
you to come up with a new design for the National Artist insignia. Draw your design
incorporating the arts and motifs from different regions in the country. Explain the elements
that you have included in your design on a separate sheet. Place it in a medium size bond
paper.
Exercise 4. Art Appropriation: Look for one of the famous paintings of a Philippine
artist, and create a modern or contemporary revision of this art. Just like the example given
on page 3. Post it in our Facebook group and include a brief description about it.
Exercise 5. You are a sportswear designer. You need to design the uniforms of the
Philippine athletes for the opening parade of the Asian Games. Your design should include or
be inspired by artworks from contemporary or regional Filipino artists, or from national artists.
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