Contemporary Philippine arts from the regions

Overview of
Philippine art
Prepared by Wilfredo DJ P. Martin IV
The art of the Philippines refers to the works
of art that have developed and accumulated
in the Philippines from the beginning of
civilization in the country up to the present
era. Inspirations on the enhancement of
Philippine arts in the pre-colonial era were
usually the belief systems of the native
people and the natural world. Colonialism
shifted the inspirations of Philippine art
towards Western notions of "art".
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 Branches of
Philippine art
Divisions of the branches

A. TRADITIONAL
ARTS
B. NON-TRADITIONAL
ARTS
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 A. TRADITIONAL ARTS
✣ Folk performing arts - including, but not limited to, dances,
plays, and dramas
✣ Folk (oral) literature - including, but not limited to, epics,
songs, and myths
✣ Folk graphic and plastic arts - including, but not limited to,
calligraphy, tattooing, folk writing, folk drawing, and folk
painting
✣ Ornament, textile, or fiber art - hat-making, mask-making,
accessory-making, ornamental metal crafts
✣ Pottery - including, but not limited to, ceramic making, clay
pot-making, and folk clay sculpture
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 A. TRADITIONAL ARTS
✣ Folk architecture - including, but not limited to, stilt houses,
land houses, and aerial houses
✣ Maritime transport - boat houses, boat-making, and
maritime traditions
✣ Weaving - including, but not limited to, basket weaving,
back-strap loom weaving, headgear weaving, fishnet
weaving, and other forms of weaving
✣ Carving - including, but not limited to, woodcarving and
folk non-clay sculpture
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 B. NON- TRADITIONAL ARTS
✣ Dance - including, but not limited to, dance choreography,
dance direction, and dance performance
✣ Music - including, but not limited to, musical composition,
musical direction, and musical performance
✣ Theater - including, but not limited to, theatrical direction,
theatrical performance, theatrical production design,
theatrical light and sound design, and theatrical playwriting
✣ Visual arts - including, but not limited to painting, non-folk
sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation art, mixed
media works, illustration, graphic arts, performance art, and
imaging 7
 B. NON- TRADITIONAL ARTS
✣ Literature - including, but not limited to, poetry, fiction, essay, and
literary/art criticism
✣ Film and broadcast arts - including, but not limited to, film and
broadcast direction, film and broadcast writing, film and broadcast
production design, film and broadcast cinematography, film and
broadcast editing, film and broadcast animation, film and broadcast
performance, and film and broadcast new media
✣ Architecture and allied arts - including, but not limited to, non-folk
architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban
design
✣ Design - including, but not limited to, industrial design, and fashion
design
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 PHILIPPINE HISTORICAL TIMELINE

American
Pre-Colonial Occupation
(before 1521) (1898-1939)

Hispanic Japanese
Philippines Occupation
(1521-1898) (1940-1945)

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 Pre-colonial arts

These are the reflections by which

the natives of these islands have
expressed their culture and
civilization. These are the proofs that
the earliest inhabitants of these
islands were learned people even
before the coming of the Spaniards.
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 Pre-colonial arts

1. Literature
➢ Our pre-colonial, ethnic literature is a
rich repository of ideals and cultural
practices evident in folk speeches, folk
songs, folk narratives, and indigenous
rituals as well as dances that show ties
with our Southeast neighbors.
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The old Philippine map
✣ Mapa: Deles Yslas
Philippinas

✣ Baybayin

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13
 Pre-colonial arts

2. Folk Speeches
➢ These are the riddles which has
the talinhaga or metaphor. Such is
known as the tigmo in Cebuano,
bugtong in Tagalog, paktakon in
Ilongo and patototdon in Bicolano.
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 Pre-colonial arts

3. Proverbs or Aphorisms
➢ Such as the tanaga, which has
insights and lessons on life
experiences. From Panay are
basahanon and daragilon, dariada,
from Bukidnon.
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 Pre-colonial arts

4. Folk Songs
➢ These are lyric expressing
relationships that are often
repetitive, sonorous, didactic,
as well naïve.
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 Pre-colonial arts

4. Folk Songs
➢ Such are known as Ida-ida from
Maguindanao, tulang pambata in
Tagalog, cansiones para abbing in
Ibanag, lullabyes or Ili-ili from
Iloilo, harana or serenade in Cebu
and ambahan for the Mangyans.
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 Pre-colonial arts

4. Folk Songs
➢ They also include work songs
depicting livelihood such as kalusan
from the Ivatan, the soliranin which is
Tagalog rowing song, and the Kalinga-
rice-pounding song known as the
mambayu.
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 Pre-colonial arts

5. Folk Narratives
➢ These are epics and folk tales
such as legends which explain
the origin of the world, places,
animals and other creations.
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 Pre-colonial arts
5. Folk Narratives
➢ Fables such as the Monkey and the Turtle
from the Tagalog; an epic called
Darangen from Maranao, Hudhud from
Ifugao; Ulahingan from the Manobo,
Bi-ag ni Lam-ang from the Ilocanos,
Hinilawod from Sulod, Kudaman from
Palawan and Tudbulol from T’boli.
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 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
A. Pottery
⨳ This is on the most ancient arts during the
Pre-Colonial era. The Manunggul Jar which
was excavated in Palawan during the 8th
Century BC and reflects a high degree of
artistry.

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 The
manunggul
jar

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 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
B. Weaving
⨳ It evolved from the pre-colonial
communities and has been a
traditional source of living. They
produce textiles and blankets with a
backstrap loom for daily needs as well
as for their rituals and religious rites.
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The tnalak

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 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
C. Sculpture
⨳ Carving in the Cordilleras focus on the
Anito figures called bulul, which they
believe has their ancestral spirits and
gods. In the south, there is a an ornate
design of carved wood such as
sarimanok and pako rabong.
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bulul

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sarimanok

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 Pako
rabong

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 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
D. Jewelry Making
⨳ Pre-colonial dwellers adorn
themselves with highly intricate
ornaments made of precious such as
gold. An example is ling-ling-o from
the Cordillera which means fertility.
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Ling-ling-o
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 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
E. Dances
⨳ These are performed during special
occasions such as birth, baptism,
circumcision, puberty rites, courtship,
wedding, during illness and death.

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 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
E. Dances
⨳ During these rituals a mandadawak, bayok,
catalonan, and babaylan enters a trance
while the shaman offers sacrifices.
Among the Tagbanua of Palawan ritual
is performed by dancing and shaking
both hands with the ugsang or palm
leaves. 32
 Pre-colonial arts
6. Visual Art
E. Dances
⨳ Similar to this are the tribal dances of the
Aetas of Zambales which are considered
proto-dramas and are playful imitations of
animal movements such as the monkey,
and the fish.

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Pre-Colonial tribal
dance
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Pre-Colonial tribal
dance
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 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

The coming of the Spanish

Conquistador marked the beginning
of cultural transformation through
the use of the ‘Sword and the Cross’
Divide and rule was implemented
through force to subjugate the native
dwellers of these islands.
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 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

But the most fleeting strategy was he

utilization of Christianity to maintain
the submission of the natives for
more than 300 years to the Spanish
crown. Religion became reflected in
the practice of arts under the
supervision of the Friars.
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 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

1. Literature
A. Poetry
➢ Religious poetry during the Hispanic rule was
either Lyrics or Narratives. Ladinos or
interpreters translate Spanish verses into
Tagalog and were used in Catechisms. An
example was the poems called Dalit which has
no fixed rhyme but has a solemn tone and
spiritual topic.
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 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

1. Literature
A. Poetry
➢ The Pasyon on the other hand is primarily a
Religious narrative poetry which recounts
the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Another prominent secular poetry is
metrical romance known as awit and korido
which are colorful tales of chivalry from
Europe. 39
 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

2. Visual Art
A. Sculpture and Architecture
➢ These were manifested through the building
of churches in every town and plaza all over
the archipelago. It exhibited the combination
of indigenous design and European classical
baroque. These were prominent in the
following:
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MIAG-AO CHURCH IN ILOILO
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SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH IN INTRAMUROS
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CARROZAS (FLOATS)
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WOODEN SANTOS
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SPANISH ARCHITECTURE IN VIGAN
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 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

2. Visual Art
B. Painting
➢ The focus of painting during the Spanish
rule were the religious icons, saints, and
religious scenes as evident in the stone walls
of the churches, monasteries, schools,
chapels, and convents.

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SPOLIARIUM BY JUAN LUNA
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Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho by
Felix R. Hidalgo
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 Philippine art during
the Hispanic Conquest

2. Visual Art
C. Printing
➢ This was done through the xylographic using
woodblocks and the Spaniards have published
the first book, the Doctrina Christiana en lengua
espanola y tagala (Christian Doctrine in the
Spanish and Tagalog Languages) and the
Apologia por la Verdadera Religion (In Defense of
the True Religion) 49
 Doctrina Christiana en
lengua espanola y
tagala (Christian
Doctrine in the
Spanish and Tagalog
Languages)

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 American
Colonization
The coming of the Americans marked
profound changes in Philippines arts as the
introduction of public education brought
forth literacy and the further
Westernization of the Filipinos. This brief
but highly influential Americanization of
the natives haver either a positive or
negative impact to Filipino life and culture
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 American
Colonization
1. Literary Art
A. Free Verse
➢ This became the hallmark of modern
poetry through the writing of Like the
Molave by Rafael Zulueta da Costa
(1940) which topped all the other
entries in the Commonwealth Literary
Contest. 52
 American
Colonization
1. Literary Art
B. Filipino Novels
➢ These were writing in English and have
proliferated as literature was infused with
American pop culture. Realist tradition was
promoted by Lope K. Santos through the
Banaag at Sikat in the 1906, Francisco
Laksamana’s Anino ng kahapon in 1906 and Ilaw
sa Hilaga in 1946. 53
 American
Colonization
1. Literary Art
B. Filipino Novels
➢ These were writing in English and have
proliferated as literature was infused with
American pop culture. Realist tradition was
promoted by Lope K. Santos through the
Banaag at Sikat in the 1906, Francisco
Laksamana’s Anino ng kahapon in 1906 and Ilaw
sa Hilaga in 1946. 54
 American
Colonization
1. Performing Arts
A. Theater
➢ This became the hallmark of modern
poetry through the writing of Like the
Molave by Rafael Zulueta da Costa
(1940) which topped all the other
entries in the Commonwealth Literary
Contest. 55
 American
Colonization
1. Performing Arts
A. Theater
➢ The American Colonial traditions
highly influenced Philippine Theater
as seen in the bodabil which was
introduced in the 1920s from the
United States.
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BODABIL
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58
 American
Colonization
1. Performing Arts
A. Theater
➢ The Filipinos were also exposed to the
legitimate theater in schools and in
upper classes. Later were the
Broadway plays such as Annie and
Evita.
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60
 American
Colonization
1. Performing Arts
A. Theater
➢ However, still there were Filipinos who used
these realities to create on playwrights that
focuses on the problems of the individual
and society; such as Three Rats by Wilfrido
Ma. Guerrero and Nick Joaquin’s A Portrait of
the Artist as a Filipino.
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62
 American
Colonization
1. Visual Arts
A. Sculpture
➢ In this art form, Guillermo Tolentino
who earned his education from Rome
and his student Napoleon Abueva
became significantly prominent.

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64
Sculptures by Guillermo
Tolentino

✣ Bonifacio Monument

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Sculptures by Guillermo
Tolentino

✣ Oblation

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Sculptures by Guillermo
Tolentino

✣ Filipinas by Bondage

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68
Sculptures by Napoleon
Abueva

✣ Pieta

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Sculptures by Napoleon
Abueva

✣ Diwata ng Sining

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Sculptures by Napoleon
Abueva

✣ Sandugo (Blood
Compact)

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 American
Colonization
1. Visual Arts
B. Painting
➢ Modernism was introduced by
Amorsolo and Edades in this form of
art, the first Filipino Painters who have
captured bright sparkling colors and
the bursting of sunlight in their
artworks. 72
PAINTINGS BY FERNANDO
AMORSOLO

Mango pickers, oil on Canvas, 1936

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PAINTINGS BY FERNANDO
AMORSOLO

El Ciego (The Blind Man), oil on

panel, 1929.

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PAINTINGS BY FERNANDO
AMORSOLO

The Palay Maiden

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PAINTINGS BY Victorio edades

The Sketch

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PAINTINGS BY Victorio edades

The Builders

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 Japanese
Colonization
The coming of the Japanese in 1941-1945
curtailed in the further proliferation of
English language as it was prohibited by
the Government. It was during the
Japanese Occupation that Filipino
literature was given a chance to flourish
specifically in the form of literary works.
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 Japanese
Colonization
1. Poetry
In Poetry, the usual theme was about love of
country, rural, life, religion, and arts. The most
common were Haikus which was a poem of free-
verse. It is short but covers a very wide meaning.
Similar to this is the Tanaga that is short but with
rhyme and measure.

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 Japanese
Colonization
2. Short Story
This literary form became progressive
during the Japanese Occupation. Brigido
Batungbakal, Macario Pineda, Liwayway
Arceo, NVM Gonzales, and Gloria Guzman
were amongst the many who wrote the
best short stories.
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Lupang Tinubuan of
Narciso Reyes

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82
LIWAYWAY ARCEO

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 Japanese
Colonization
2. Short Story
Some journalists however, who were known
for their writings in English such as Leon Ma.
Guerrero, Raul Manglapus and Carlos Bulosan
were suppressed by this prohibition wrote
propaganda reiterating the Nationalist sentiment
which basically was against the continued rule of
the Japanese.
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85
 Japanese
Colonization
3. Performing Arts
A. Drama
This experienced setbacks as most movie
houses showing American films became venues
for stage shows. Many of the plays shown were
reproductions of English plays translated into
Tagalog. It was during this time that the
‘Dramatic Philippines’ was established.
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 Japanese
Colonization
3. Performing Arts
B. Music
Japanese music was imposed and heard in
radio broadcasts. These were also taught in
Public schools despite inattention of the
Filipino students.

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