SALCEDO, Eunice Marian J.
AAP 0007-23
Art in the Philippines
Art has portrayed itself using diverse means in successive generations, and humanity has
been striving to adequately describe what art actually is for ages. Just like the art that has formed
and developed in the Philippines from the country's roots of civilization to the current day, it
exhibits a wide diversity of cultural influencing factors on its society and even non-Filipinos.
Cielo Fernando's article "A Beginner's Guide to Art in the Philippines," published on July
7, 2021, briefly explored three important categories of art in our country. Traditional art, for
example, is a feature of a specific community of people's culture, with knowledge and expertise
handed down from experts to learners. It depicts a modest existence prior to a country's
phenomenal growth. Traditional art includes pre-colonial Philippine art which is considered as a
source of documentary of the existence and local traditions at the period. Weaving is the most
well-known type of traditional art in the Philippines, however there are also carving, folk
performing arts, oral literature, ceramics, and other expressive representations of traditional
culture. Fernando Amorsolo, Juan Luna, and Guillermo Tolentino are some of the most
well-known traditional artists in the Philippines. Juan Luna painted one of our National Cultural
Treasures, and I know him more than the other artists due to his renowned 'Spoliarium' piece
from 1884. Proceeding on to our country's contemporary art, this refers to art created today in the
various forms of paintings, sculptures, photographs, filmmaking, dance, music, theater, visual
arts, literature, and more. These arts can also be classified as non-traditional arts, where there are
various Filipino professionals or experts in this subject. The non-traditional arts of poetry,
fiction, and essay are the primary crafts of literature, which are generally founded on or shaped
by the art history of oral literature. I am particularly enticed with literature since I value reading
and writing. Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Jose Rizal are two of the best examples
of our non-traditional art in the Philippines because, as Filipinos, we must acknowledge the
awakening of our nationalism in the past in order to carry the societal message that we, not the
governing body, should be the leaders. Finally, Cielo Fernando highlighted the Philippines'
Indigenous Arts as his third and last type of art in our country. The indigenous population of the
Philippines produce this art, which includes pieces in raw materials such as tree extracts, fruits,
and vegetables. Several indigenous Filipino artists have contributed to the preservation of many
of the Philippines' most important indigenous traditions. Elito Circa is a well-known
SALCEDO, Eunice Marian J.
AAP 0007-23
Pantabangan folk artist who explored the use of indigenous materials as well as raw materials
like human blood in his paintings. Furthermore, the batek is an indigenous tattooing technique
used by the Kalinga population in the Cordilleras. Whang-od, the country's most famous tattoo
artist, was formerly recognized as the last mambabatok until she began teaching her niece the
skill so that the Kalinga's tattoo culture would progress.
The arts listed above are only a few of the many that exist in the Philippines. We are all
artists, in my opinion, and we are all capable of producing art in diverse ways. However, being
interested in Philippine art necessitates a thorough understanding of the country's many art forms
as well as the history behind them. As Filipinos, we have a responsibility to communicate and
educate one another about our history and identity, and one effective way to do so is by the use
of art.
REFERENCES
Art of the Philippines. (2019, April 20). HiSoUR - Hi So You Are. Retrieved March 3, 2022,
from https://www.hisour.com/art-of-the-philippines-37061/
Benesa, L. (n.d.). What is Philippine About Philippine Art. National Commission for Culture and
the
Arts.
Retrieved
March
3,
2022,
from
https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/visualarts/what-is-philippine-about-philippine-art/
Fernando, C. (2021, July 7). Art in the Philippines Guide: What Every Art-Lover Must Know.
ZenRooms
Blogs.
Retrieved
March
3,
2022,
from
https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/art-in-the-philippines/#Traditional-Art-in-the-Phili
ppines