A Brief History

of Philippine Art
 Pre- Conquest
• Art of the ancient Filipinos were woven into the fabric of
everyday life.
• They do not refer to “art” as we do today, as an expression of an
individual, and seen largely in museums and concert halls.
• They did not distinguish forms into different categories like
music, theater, visual arts .
• Everyday expressions were all integrated within rituals that
marked significant moments in a community’s life like planting
and harvesting.
• Rite of passage, funerals ceremonies, and
weddings.
• Cañao or Kanyaw- is found in CAR Region
(officiated by Mumbaki)
• Involves animal sacrifice, where the entrails are
read through the process of divination that is
performed either for healing, to announce the birth
of a child, or a coming of age, during wakes,
weddings, and burial ceremonies.
Cañao
 Kashawing Ritual

• To ensure abundance during rice planting and

harvesting is still observe and performed.
• This ritual involves a re-enactment of the
pact made by the ancestors of the community
and the unseen spirits that inhabit the lake.
 Tagbanwa (Palawan)

• Believe that every 13th moon, 3 goddesses

descend from heaven to bless planting rice.
• The Shamans go into trance amidst ritual
chanting and dancing and are believed to be
taken over by the goddesses themselves.
 Musical Culture
• Kudyapi- a three string guitar
• Kulintang- an array of bossed gongs
• Gansa- flat gong Bamboo percussion
instruments
• Agong- a large bossed gong
 Native Dance

• Wealth of ethnic musical instruments is

further complimented by native dance
forms whose movements often imitated
the movements of animals, humans, and
elements from nature.
Pangalay Kinabua Tinikling
Kadaliwas dance- T’bolis represent the
comedic movements of monkey.
Tinikling- a popular Tagalog folk dance .
 Native Dance Forms
• Pangalay – from the Sulu archipelago is mimetic of the movement
of sea bird
• Mandayas Kinabua
• Banog Banog – Higaonon
• Man manok of the bagobos Mindanao Imitate the movements of
predatory birds
• Talip Dance – Ifugaos used in courtship and is mimetic of the
movements of wild fowls
 Carving

• Bulul- ( Cordillera)- regarded as a granary god

that plays an important role in rituals.
• Also appears in containers, bowls, and spoons.
• Hagabi- a wooden bench that marks the
socioeconomic status of the owner.
Bulul Hagabi
• Santos or Sculptures of Saints –( Laguna & Pampanga)-
sculptures of saints as well as other wooden sculptures of
secular or non- religious orientation.
• Okir ( Ukkil termed in Tausug/ Samal/ Badjao)-
Curvilinear decorations; decorations can be found in
Tausug and Sama Houses, traditional boats, weapons,
sunduk or gravemakers, and musical instruments.
• Sensous figures sometimes painted in primary colors
follow the basic designs of Sarimanok, Naga or Serpent,
Pako Rabong or Fern
Okir Sarimanok
 Pottery
• Manunggul Jar- Discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point,
Palawan is dated to the late Neolithic Period (890-710 B.C) the
secondary vessel, where buried and exhumed bones are placed.
• Anthromorphic Burial Jars- produced during Metal Age (5 DC –
225 AD) found in Ayub cave in Maitum, Saranggani Province
• Palayok for cooking and containers such as the banga and tapayan
• Pagbuburnay ( Burnayan) in Vigan, Ilocos.
Pagbuburnay
 Weaving
• The fibers are gathered from plants like cotton abaca and
pineapple
• Pis siyabit- a headpiece woven by the Tausug of Sulu
• Malong
• Langkit woven by the Maranao of Lanao del Sur
• Tepo mat of the sama of Tawi Tawi made of Pandan Leaves
• Ovaloid Baskets – made of nito and bamboo are used as a head
sling to carry harvest.
• Bubo- Ilocos Region sturdy bamboo strips are woven to create fish traps
 Bodily Adornment / Tattoos
• Boxer Codex- featured representations of various ethno linguistic
groups .
• An upper class Tagalog couple was portrayed wearing gold jewelry
• Islas De los Pintados- fully covered in Tattoo, corroborating early
accounts
• Tattoos were valued it was believed to protect the individual from
evil spirits, and in some cases as a badge of maturity and bravery.
Jewelry, painstaking attention to detail to detail
is manifested in metal work such as the lotoans
or betel nut boxes of various shapes, made of
brass or bronze produced by Maranao of
Lanao del Sur.
 Islamic Colonial (13th Century – Present)
• Islam is already well-entrenched in Southern Philippines, where it continues
to be culturally dominant and strong.
• Islam was said to gain significant grounding in Sulu as early as the 13th
century.
• The arrival of Sayyid Abbubakar of Arabia in the 15th century that led to a
significant turn of events.
• Quran – the holy book
• Madrasa – religious school that facilitated the teaching of Arabic Writing in
16th century.
Quran Mihrab Qibla
 Main beliefs of Islam that influenced the ways
of Art
• Filipino Muslims recognized that they belong to an umnah (a community of
believers)
• Central to the Islamic faith is the Doctrine of Tawhid or unity of God.
• Mihrab or niche and the Quibla wall are oriented towards the West.
• Ka’bah – a black temple believed to be built by the Prophet Muhammad.
• Luhul – canopy which may feature motifs from the Tree of life.
• Torogan – Royal house of the Maranao.
 Spanish Colonial Period (1521 – 1898)
• Art that flourished during this period conformed to the demands of the Church and the
Colonial State.
• The natives were forcibly resettled in towns structured according to the Plaza Complex.
• The complex was designated as the town center and consisted of the municipio or local
government office and the church.
• Cruciform churches following the shape of the Latin Cross were built.
• The baroque style was dominately employed, they were characterized by gandeur, drama,
and elaborate details that purposely appealed to the emotions.
• Examples of Baroque Churches that have survived
to this day are the :
• San Agustin Church in Manila
• Morong Church in Rizal
• Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte
• Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Miag-ao in Ilo
Ilo
• The imagery of Santo would be based on
classical and baroque models .
• Under Spanish supervision were engaged
in making icons or saints or santos in
wood and ivory.
 Painting
• Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Bohol
• The Greek and Roman classical influence can be seen in the
proportion employed as well as the formality of expression while
the trace of the Baroque is evident in the expressive and
emotional characteristics of the Santo
• Via Crucis- is an important inclusion in colonial churches which
are presented as a series of 14 paintings or relief sculptures
depicting Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Trompo L’oeil
• Images of Holy Family, Virgin Mary and the four evangelists
proliferate in the ceilings and the walls of the church.
• Trompe L’oeil Taal (Basilica Batangas/ St. James the Apostle
Parish in Betis, Pampanga)- (Fooling the eye French) -it refers to
paintings that give heightened illusion of three- dimentionality.
• Church altars are sometimes decorated with figurative relleves or
with designs of hammered silver or the Plateria
• The plateria technique is also applied in the body of the Carroza ,
where the Santos are paraded during town procession
 Musical Instruments

• Pipe organ, violin, guitar, and the

Piano.
• Catholic Liturgical Music was introduced in 1742
when the archbishop of Manila, Juan Rodriguez
Angel established the singing school at the Manila
Cathedral taught Western Church Music.
• Pasyon or Pabasa- the biblical narration of Christ’s
passion chanted in an improvised melody.
• Awit and the Corrido- ( Lowland Christian Communities
of Pampanga, Ilocos, Bicol, and Iloilo – these were
chanted stories based on European literature and history
and were popular even among the peasantry who learned
the verses purely by rote.
• Kundiman and the Balitao- sentimental lovesong and
lullabies also evolved
• Kundaman ni Abdon- (Abdon Lovesong)-became a
feature of protest actions againsts the Martial Laws
against the 70’s.
• Bayan Ko- (My Country)- a Kundiman
which experienced renewed popularity
during the Edsa People Power Revolution
1986.
• Baybayin- script used to composed short
poems that tell courtship and other emotional
concerns .
• In the town of Ticao , southern province of
Leyte , a huge stone contained Baybayin
writing believed to be an invocation for a safe
journey by sea .
 Theater
• Local theater forms would develop early than literary fiction.
• The Shamanistic rituals, dances, and chants probably the forms
of theater
• Replace by pomp and pageantry of religious processions
• Carrozas containing religious tableaus of catholic Saints and
scenes from the bible.
• During the 19th century ,a popular form of musical theater was
imported by Spain .
• Zarzuela (sarswela)- was an operatta which features singing and
dancing interspersed with prosed dialogues which allowed the
story to be carry out in song.
• Sinakulo or Passion Play – was written in 1704 by Gaspar Aquino
de Belen . Narrative was culled entirely from the biblical account
of Christ’s passion and death on the cross adapted into verse
form and translated into the local language.
• Moro Moro or Komedya- two local theater
• Moro- derived from the Spanish Word for moor or North
American Arabs who ruled parts of Spain from 8th – 15th century
• It involves a love story between a Christian Hero and an Islamic
heroine or vice versa .Dialogue would be done in verse, in the
vernacular language,and clashes between Christians and Muslims
were done in dance resulting ultimately resulting in the conversion
and baptism of the leading muslim character , and ending with a
Christian wedding and the protagonists living happily ever after
• Komedya – prominent playwright was
(Francisco Balagtas)- It depicts the conflict
between the Muslims and Christians.
• Panata – devotion to the church
 Dance & Music
• Mexican influenced folk dance
• Cariñosa, Pandanggo, Polka, Dansa and the Rigodon
• Habañera, jota and Tango dances from Spain
• Ballet
• Jazz ( America)
 Polka
Pandanggo Dansa
• Music(20 th -21 st
century)- such as
American bandstand, country music ,
American top 40, rock to heavy metal,
punk and rap music.
 Folk Rituals
• Celebrated the bounty of harvest were appropriated by the Roman
Catholic church in the form of fiestas that honor patron saints instead of
anitos.
• Kiping – (Lucban, Quezon) home are decorated with colorful rice wafers
and formed like chandeliers.
• Fruits and vegetables are also displayed as a gesture of thanksgiving to San
Isidro Labrador
• During the Lenten Season, processions also take place along with
performances such as Siete Palabras and the Via Crucis
• The celebration of Christmas such as
lanterns or the parol.
• Theatrical forms such as the
Panunuluyan, Pastores, and Tatlong Hari
– interpreted biblical narratives pertaining
to Christ’s Birth.
• Painting during the first few centuries of Spanish colonization provided a visual
interpretation of biblical texts central to Catholic devotion.
• Heaven , Earth, and Hell( mural in Paete Church Laguna)- a map of universe
features a terrifying depiction of hell. The painting seems to warn that a sinful life
on earth would lead to torment and eternal damnation .
• Basi Revolt- a series of 14 paintings by Esteban Villanueva . It chronicles the defeat
of Ilocanos who rebelled against the Spanish government’s monopoly of basi or rice
wine in 1821.
 Reprographic Art of Print making
• Doctrina Christiana ( Teachings of Christianity)- applying the technique of
xylography or woodcut printing, printed in 1593in Spanish and in Tagalog
by Dominican Priests.
• It is the first printed book in the Philippines compiling song Lyrics,
commandments, sacraments, and other catechetical material.
• Estampas- prayer booklets and its smaller counterpart printmaking,
particularly engraving, was develop to produce secular or non- religious
works.
• Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas
Filipinas – the first scientific map of the Philippines.
• Tipos del Pais- surrounding the map are vignettes of
everyday life that focus on the different types of people
and their surrounding
• Flora de Filipinas – compilation of Philippine plants
\
• Opening of Manila to International trade in
1834 and the Suez Canal in 1869 gained
economic benefits for the native elites.
• Ilustrado –the enlightened ones.
• Bahay na bato- housed of rich and
prominent families.
 Painting
• Portrait of the Quiason Family-( Simon Flores)- the magnificent interior of
the family’s home, mothers jewelry, the delicate fabric and the embroidery of
their clothing and their dignified poses.
• Spoliarium-( Juan Luna won gold)- depiction of a lifeless body of a lifeless
body of a gladiator being pulled across coliseum. ( viewed at National
Gallery)
• Virgenes Christianas Expuestas al Populacho-( Collection of the
Metropolitan Museum of Manila) emphasis on a woman held captive have
been interpreted as rearing reminders of the Philippines oppression under
Spanish rule.
• España y Filipinas (1886) (Lopez museum)- featuring two
women ascending a light of stairs . Personified by a
woman in a flowing red gown, Mother Spain,
patronizingly leads her charge , a petite brown skinned
woman representing Filipinas the duo presumably making
their way towards the path of enlightenment .
 American Period(1898- 1940)- Postwar
Republic (1946- 1969)
• The elusive independence that the Philippines gained after the revolution
of 1896 was cut short with the establishment of the American colonial
government in the Philippines.
• With the coming of the Americans, Filipino playwrights who had just
undergone the Phil. Revolution of 1898 against Spain now found
themselves confronted by censorship with the issuance of the Sedition Law
which banned the printing and publication of materials advocating Phil.
Independence , and engaging in activities which championed this cause.
• It would seem that the American’s policy of Benevolent Assimilation was
not that benevolent after all.
• Tanikalang Guinto ( Juan Abad)-
• Hindi Ako Patay- ( Juan Matapang Cruz)
• Kahapon , Ngayon at Bukas ( Aurelio Tolentino)-
• Echoed not only the nationalist sentiments of their
playwrights but also served as medium for political
protest, openly attacking for Americans.
• Drama Simbolico- act plays came to represent deep and
profound yearning for freedom.
• A Modern Filipina- the first Filipino play
written in English authored by Lino
Castillejo and Jesus Araullo.
 Vaudeville
• Originated by France
• Another form of theater which the Americans introduced that became popular in the
Philippines during 1920’s
• This motley collection of slapstick, song, dances, acrobatics, comedy skits, chorus girls,
magic acts, and stand -up comic acts would be known locally as Bodabil.
 Painting
• Planting Rice and El Kundiman ( Fernando Amorsolo)- romantic paintings that capture
the warm glow of the Philippine Sunlight .
• Highlighting the beauty of the dalagang Filipina, idyllic landscapes , and historical
paintings .
• Victorio Edades- The Builders 1928- showed distorted figures of toiling workers using
dull colors
• Carlos V. Francisco- (1913- 1969)- Filipino Struggles Through History – largest and
most ambitious in scope , which he did for manila City hall
• Brown Madonna- sets the Mother and Child in native, tropical environment.
• Guillermo Tolentino- Amorsolo’s counterpart
in sculpture .
• Oblation of the University of the Phil. and
Bonifacio Monument 1933 in Caloocan
 Japanese Period( 1941-1945)
• Under the Japanese Occupation of Manila, how ever the project
would slow down in pace.
• Early modernists and conservatives alike continued to produce
art and even participated in KALIBAPI( Kapisanan ng
Paglilingkod ng bagong Pilipinas) sponsored art competitions.
• The Japanese forces led the formation of the Greater East Asia
Co- Prosperity Sphere- a propaganda movement that sought to
create pan- Asian Identity that rejected Western Traditions.
• Slogans such as “ Asia for Asians” made
its way to the public through posters,
ephemera, comics and Japanese
sponsored publication such as Shin –
Seiki and in newspapers and magazines
such as Liwayway and Tribune.
 Painting
• Rice Planting (1942)-, Harvest Scene- paintings that evoked a semblance of
peace, idealized work in the countryside , and promoted values of docile
industriousness.
• Study of Aeta- Crispin Lopez – representing different ethnolinguistic
groups were produced.
• Bombing of Intendencia, and Ruins of the Manila Cathedral by
Amorsolo-
• Atrocities in Paco- depicted the Horrors of War by Diosdado Lorenzo
• Doomed Family by Dominador Castañeda were painted after 1945.
 Neo-realism,Abstraction, and other Modern
Art Styles
• The Beggars by Manansala 1952- the image of two women with emaciated
bodies, their forlorn faces against a dark background capturing the dreariness
of poverty.
• Tuba Drinkers Legaspi 1954
• Gadgets II – depicts half-naked men almost engulfed in the presence of
machines.
• The Contrast 1940- discussed the first chapter is a distinct figurative work
which exposes dire human conditions amidst the backdrop of modernity.
• Carroza- Fernando Zobels Iconic Painting-
• Angry Christ – Alfonso Ossorio- mural
delivers pictorial overload, filling up the walls
and ceiling of the altar space.
• Street Musicians
 1970’s to Contemporary
• Under the Helm of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos- beginning
1965, many cultural projects ensued amid the backdrop of
poverty and volatile social conditions.
• Cultural Center of the Phil. – the premiere bureaucratic entity
through which art acquisition, exhibition making, workshops,
grants, and awards were implemented.
• It was created in june 25, 1966 through Executive 30 and
inaugurated in 1969. ( Marcos elected president to his 2nd term)
• The modernist cantilevered building described as a cross
between the vernacular bahay kubo and art brut minimalism, was
designed by Leandro Locsin, Chief architect of Imelda.
• Like the Marcos monument, this structure presides over a stands
guards at the entrance of the CCP Complex, which consists of
satellite structures with varying functions:
• The Folk Arts Theater which became the venue of the first Ms.
Universe Pageant in the Philippines 1974
• The state of the Art Philippine International Convention
Center ( PICC) housed the 1976 IMF World Bank
Conference :
• Tahanang Filipino or Coconut Place which was built in
anticipation of a papal visit
• The Manila Film Center which was built to host Manila
International Film Festival to ambitiously rival Cannes
• The large scale project composer and ethnomusicologist National Artist
Jose Maceda was staged through the CCP, involving hundreds of transistor
radios and radio stations nationwide in order to create “ sound
atmospheres” from the strategic overlapping of indigenous and found
sounds.
• It opened and managed a museum which the artist-professor Roberto
Chabet was tasked to be the first director
• Chabet’s works at that time were avowedly conceptual, emphasizing the
idea behind his art rather than technique and form.
• For the group exhibition Objects, held at CCP in 1973,
• Tearing Into Pieces- was seen scandalous critique of the
conventions of the art world
• The Struggle for Philippine Art(1974)- artist, collector, critic, and
founder of the Art Association of the Philippines Purita Kalaw-
Ledesma described the work as “anti-museum art”
• CCP Director and Curator, taught at the UP College of Fine Arts
(1971—2002)
• Mentored a new generation of innovative Filipino Artist who
become established multimedia artist.
• Under Chabet and Raymundo Albano- CCP Museum opened its
exhibition programming to works influenced by the Western
avant- garde and conceptual tenets, pop art, happenings,
environmental assemblages, new realism, performance art and
sound works.
• This shifting to alternative venues was also accompanied by the
development of emergent art writing platforms , including the
Philippine Art Supplement (PAS) and the Review Cultural Forum.
 Social Realism(SR)
• A significant strand that emerged during the intense political ferment of 70s
and the 80s was Social Realism.
• Using various mediums, techniques, and styles is a form of protest art that
exposed the socio-political issues and struggles of the times.
• It differs from other realist approaches in that it is conscious with its regard
for the oppressed and underrepresented masses.
• It would tackle for example, the plight of the marginalized, inequality and
forms of repression.
• Worked collectively, and in collaboration, not only in terms of producing murals and other
art forms, but also in making aesthetic decisions grounded on a common mass- based,
scientific and nationalist framework.
• Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan(1978)- Antipas Delotavo
• Kinupot (1978)- Edgar Fernandez
• The format of protest art is not just confined to painting on canvas but also extends to
other more accessible and popular forms like posters and illustrations: or street art as in
collaborative murals in public spaces.
• Tulad ng Mga Nauna (Brenda Fajardo)
• Saling Pusa
• Pamilya Pintura
• Pieta