CONTEMPORARY
PHILIPPINE ARTS
FROM THE
REGIONS
ACTIVITY 1.1
(Art Appreciation)
nd
2 SEMESTER
ACTIVITY 1: ART APPRECIATION
Direction: Research the art works of various contemporary artists and choose one masterpiece that attracts you most. Give insight about your
chosen masterpiece. Be guided by the questions provided.
Title of the Contemporary Artwork: "The Fisherman"
Artist: Ang Kiukok
Region: The Philippines, Davao Region
1. Brief information about the artist.
Ang Kiukok had a reputation of being a National Artist. His well known for his distinct cubist and
surrealist portrayals of the crucifixion of Christ and mother and child. He was considered one of the
most successful commercial figures on the local art scene from the 1960s until 2005 when he died
from cancer.
2. What is the artwork all about?
The artwork is said to be representing the struggles of the fisherman in their daily life. It is believed
to be a painting in “which connects both energy, faith and the struggle of fishermen under a vibrant
crimson sun laboring together to bring in the haul for the day” (Bhandari, 2018). This painting
exhibits the life of fishermen in our country.
3. What does the artist want to convey to his/her audience?
This artwork is a cubism painting that the artist created to convey a message about what fishermen
encounter, how they live their life between the struggles of their work. Fishing does require a
intensive labor for most people because you are not only catching fish for yourself but for the
country that overlooks and undervalues these goods.
4. What evidence is present in the artwork for you to consider it as a contemporary Philippine art?
Cubism art is revolutionary approach to represent reality it's an artistic movement that employs
geometric shapes in depictions of human and other form. Thus, this artwork is considered a
contemporary Philippine art because Kiukok emphasizes the use geometrical shapes to portray the
fishermen that create the illusion of movement.
5. Considering the era in which it was created, how do you relate it to the social situation
prevalent during that time? Does it convey any message?
The fisherman was created in the year 1992 and is recognized as a continuation of the artist’s series
that share similar naturalistic themes along with the Fishermen (1981), as well as Fishermen
Drawing Nets (1990). His works before these are proof that "art disturbs the comfortable and
comforts the disturbed" because all his works seems to incorporate anger, sorrow, ugliness. and the
madness present in our society.