Contemporary Artists who Used Indigenous Materials

LUZON

Rodel Tapaya
Rodel Tapaya hails from Bulacan. He is a multi-awarded Filipino artist winning art contests
here and abroad. He got his break when he won the top prize in the Nokia Art Award, dominating other
artists from the Asia-Pacific region. He was given the opportunity to study and train in New York and
Finland, and eventually graduated at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts.

Though Tapaya uses traditional medium, his paintings are not. He innovatively used subjects
inspired by the culture and history of the Philippines. He also uses folk subjects and myths from Filipino
folktales Painting by Rodel Tapaya such as manananggals, tikbalangs, and Bernardo Carpio, to add
symbolic meaning and relevance to his viewers. These mythical elements were used as a commentary
on the ills of society today. This direction of his work was first seen in his solo exhibit abroad entitled Rode/ Tapayan:
Folkgotten (2008).

He used similar elements in his installation piece entitled Modern Manananggals (2013)
wherein he used the half-bodied monsters as an allegory to the pitfalls of a global society, where
people seem to lose touch with oneself.

Some of Tapaya's notable works that were inspired by his cultural heritage are numbered but
cannot be counted. These were inspired by his folk stories and Philippine precolonial history that
won him the prestigious Signature Art Prize in Singapore in 2011. His painting Mountain Fantasies
uses the mythical Maria Makiling to warn us about greed and the destruction of the environment.

Dexter Sy
Dexter Sy was born in Manila in 1979. He uses his mix heritage of being a Filipino-Chinese
as his inspiration for many of his works. These offer personal insights and commentary on the life of
a Filipino-Chinese. The result were artworks that were personal, self-deprecating, and honest. His
works study the differences and clash that arise from having a diverse and sometimes contradicting
cultural heritage.

He says that art for him is not just about the piece itself but also the research that goes with it;
he shares that the research often takes a more significant time rather than the actual work on the art.
He uses his researches as the basis for his art concepts, since for him without this story and history, there will be no art.

Sy's Filipino-Chinese heritage comes naturally for him as he has long identified himself with his roots and history.
Sy's mixed heritage can be seen in his use of Chinese folk arts and symbols, and elements borrowed from traditional Filipino
cultural influence is evident with Sy's use of Catholic images, indigenous Filipino motifs, and ubiquitous Filipino products.
Notable works that showcase these interacting principles of his heritage include the following:

The Self Recognized by the Others (2015) is a portrait of Sy's family with faces painted in black
and white similar to that of the American rock band, Kiss. He used this as an analogy to not generalize, as
he explained that in the Philippines, when people find out that you are a Filipino-Chinese they
automatically assume that you are wealthy which is not always true. The background is filled with symbols
and imagery from both Chinese and Filipino cultures.

DNA (2015) is an installation by Sy. He used the ubiquitous Good Morning towels as his chief
medium. These inexpensive hand towels made in China with the word "Good Morning" printed on them
are often used by Filipino workers and children to wipe their sweat away. These towels were hung from the ceiling and
interwoven with textile with indigenous Filipino designs to simulate a double helix strand of a DNA. This installation was
an amusing analogy of his Filipino-Chinese lineage.
Ronald Riel Jaramillo Hilario
Ronald Riel Jaramillo Hilario was born in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur in 1976. Hilario belonged to
a family who is famous in creating wood-carved santos and furniture. He learned rebulto-carving from
his uncle Jose Lazo Jr., a local wood-carver. Using his family's wood crafting heritage as an inspiration
for his artworks, he was able to distinguish himself from his contemporaries. He describes himself as a
contemporary artist that uses traditional wood-carving techniques. His sculptural works give the
unmistakable feel of the wood-carved religious iconography of Catholicism. It is a trait that can be seen
in almost all of his figurative sculptures. He believes that these sculptures should not just be artifacts of
our past but as expressions of our world-views, and thus our sense of identity. He uses his inherited culture
as a jumping off point of his artistic development. He advises to all budding Filipino artists to be more in
touch of their culture before they start exploring. Study the history of their ancestors so that they can
better understand the world they live in and how their artistic expressions can mediate and make their world better.
 In 2004, he was chosen by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to be one of the artists to
exhibit for the Sungdu-an 3, his legitimacy as a contemporary Filipino artist. His works have brought him to different
museums all over the Philippines and has been invited to show pieces in Taiwan, New York, South Korea, and Brazil.

Other than his exhibits, he has also won numerous awards and recognitions. One of these
prestigious awards was being one of the awardees of the Thirteen Artists Awards (TAA) of the
Cultural Center of the Philippines. Hilario is currently based in Antipolo City.

Clifford Espinosa
Clifford Espinosa is a Filipino architect, artist, and environmentalist. He believes that functional
things can be at the same time beautiful as seen in his furniture. His interest in art was already
apparent since he was a child, spending his spare time drawing and sketching.

When Espinosa was in college, he started exploring and experimenting with carving, and was
trained by renowned activist and sculptor Jerry Araos. From there, he has designed and created
sculptural and functional masterpieces.

Clifford gets inspiration from indigenous forms of crafts. He applies the techniques he learned from these traditional crafts
on his own work, such as assembling and creating furniture without the use of nails. He measures and cuts each piece of
wood perfectly so that each piece falls securely into place. He believes that by replicating these indigenous techniques, he
also preserves and honors our heritage.

Espinosa is also an environmentalist and that is why he is focused on green architecture. He creates artworks from
secondhand wood which he buys from scrapyards. He does this to show people the beauty of recycling, and to teach the
younger generation of conservation.

Espinosa's works are also his way to express social commentaries as seen in his work entitled
LuzViMin. This one is made of three separate tables that can function on its own, but when
assembled together, it becomes an impressive long table. He made it to show that a united country
achieves many great things.

John Paul Antido

John Paul Antido was born in Antipolo in 1982. He is a Filipino contemporary painter whose
works are characterized by his use of impasto techniques—bright vivid colors. His Filipino heritage
can be seen in his figurative subjects where people are in contemporary settings, but are depicted
wearing traditional Filipino costumes such as the baro't saya, bakya, etc. His paintings are said to be
an allegory of the situation of the Filipinos where their psyche seem to live in two contradicting eras
when compared to the global situation.

Ricky Ambagan

Ricky Ambagan looks to the present Filipino daily grind for inspiration in his collection of
paintings entitled Mga Langgam Sa Syudad. His collection of fifteen paintings on burlap depicts the
chaotic and crowded streets of Manila. One of his paintings replicates a captured candid moment in the
midst of transit using distortion as a style. He compared the city dwellers to ants that are overly
preoccupied with their own businesses. He finds interest in the impermanence of things which he tries
to capture in his art.

To create this collection, Ambagan goes around the city with his digital camera in tow. He
anonymously photographs the people going about their everyday lives. He then downloads the
images which he distorts with the use of computer. The resulting image is what he uses as reference
to make his almost hyperrealistic paintings. He believes that his work is a way to honor the masses.
Since most, would not be able to see his works, he instead puts the masses into his works.

Aze Ong
Aze Ong (b. 1977) is known for her colorful and organic forms made of crocheted threads. She
grew up in Antipolo City. As there were no ethnic groups in her community, she always felt that she was
constantly looking for her identity as she grew up. That is until she volunteered as a teacher in Kibangay,
Lantapan Bukidnon for a year in 1999 for the Associate Missionaries of the Assumption (AMA). Most
of her students belonged to the Talaandig group and immersed herself in their culture and tradition.

During her stay, she developed her style and art. She shares that the creative process Installation art by
Aze Ong involved in her creation of her crocheted masterpieces are parallel with the Talaandigs. Her
inspirations are from within and nature. She says that she often invokes the "spirits" to guide her craft.
 She does not use any patterns when she creates her works and is one of the reasons why
each and every piece, she makes is unique and original. She also says that her emotions are often
expressed in her artworks making each one very personal. Art for her is a way of life. She also loves
to make artworks that she can use such as dresses, jewelries, bags, jackets, and blankets.

If you attend any of her exhibits, she opens with performances of ritual and dances to ask for guidance from the
gods and goddesses as to celebrate the ritual of creation. She believes that the creation of art should be shared with the
audience and an exhibit is its main celebration.

Success and recognition did not come easy for Aze Ong. Using crochet as her medium, it was first not accepted in
galleries and other spaces. She says that her works were intentionally left outside the museum for exhibit in art competitions.
There were times that the event organizers would not accept her medium and singled her out.

Eventually, through the years, museums and institutions finally saw its uniqueness and finally accepted her works.
She credits her determination and not giving up for her success especially in a male. dominated field. She did not let the
discouragement and doubt stop her from her purpose; which is to show her art to others. She hopes that her expression as a
woman, as a person, as an artist can truly make a difference.

Alma Quinto
Alma "Urduja" Quinto was born in 1961 in Urdaneta, Pangasinan. She is an artist, teacher and
cultural worker that uses her talent and art to help communities that have been affected by natural and
human-made calamities. She believes that art has a social responsibility to the community, and that art
can be used as a tool for healing and collaboration.

Since 1995, she has partnered with different charitable and socio- Part of Alma Quinto's
installation Soft Dream civic organizations here and abroad to and Bed Stories at the 8th Havana Biennale
bring healing and awareness. Such as her partnership with the CRIBS foundation and Bantay Bata with
whom she teaches and encourage the children to use art as an outlet so that they can discover the good in
themselves and in turn become stronger to confront the many hardships they have encountered in their young life. She
illustrated a number of books including for On the Night of Sendong: Narratives of Children Survivors, which shared the
accounts of the children survivors of the typhoon Sendong, that hit Cagayan de Oro in 2011. Her works have been shown
in numerous museums such as the CCP, the Lopez Museum, the Yuchengco Museum and various countries such as Norway
and Japan in 2005.

She describes her style as "not static." She explains that since her art projects often involve
marginalized communities she often needs to adapt to communicate and collaborate in order to
connect with people and in turn learn from their experiences. Her themes are Often about serious
social issues but in order to connect with a broader range of audience she makes her installations
and soft sculptures sexy' whimsical, playful and colorful to get the attention of people especially the
young.

This technique is evident in her installation work Soft Dreams and Bed Stories exhibited at the 8th Havana Biennale
in Cuba. Her work served as a vehicle to advocate empowerment of children through the use of Philippine cultural icons to
depict the narratives of girl survivors of abuse. The bed in the collection was inspired by the babaylan, the pre-colonial
priestess, healer and leader. She adds that the grounding of ones work on Filipino culture and heritage is important as artists
and visual communicators since it "strengthens our identity to know who we are. "

VISAYAS

Peter James Fantinalgo and Moreen Austria

Visayan artists Peter James Fantinalgo and Moreen Austria collaborated together in 2016
to create a collection entitled Lawig that celebrate the unique relationship between the neighboring
islands of Negros and Panay. Lawig means "umbilical cord" in Hiligaynon, which is quite apt given
the island's history. These two provinces have long been entwined with each other, sharing history
and language that resulted in a sort of sibling rivalry. The collection hoped for people to reflect and
reevaluate what they know about their region historically and sociologically.

Nunelucio Alvarado
Since the 1970s, Nunelucio Alvarado has been a prominent name in the art scene in the
Philippines and in Southeast Asia. He is currently based in Bacolod. Proud of his heritage, he often uses
his work to create awareness of the Sakadas of Negros and the other marginalized people of the society.
His many paintings are often rooted on the problems his home province faces, namely, injustice and
poverty.

His early works illustrated the sugar farmers indebted from birth to the land owners. His paintings
are often very bold in their expression and emotion. Many of his works are described as full of conflict
and demanding of the viewer's attention. His style is unmistakable, with his figures facing front and its scale is hierarchal
with its importance to the message. He uses a lot of ornamentation that spirals from his composition.

His more recent collection entitled Babaye was inspired by the women of the Visayas often endearingly referred to
as Inday. Although it tackles a much lighter theme, his depictions were anything but light. His figures of women are made
massive and full of symbolism such as the expressionless faces and the exposed internal human structure. It is ornamented
with spikes and thorns and zigzag patterns, all adding to the intimidating feel of the paintings.

Manuel Pañares
Cebuano painter, Manuel Pañares is known for his historical themed paintings. He believes
in the power of art as a medium of learning. He creates realistic paintings of Cebu and Mindanao's
historical events as a way for his fellow Cebuanos to learn more about their history.

Pañares was born in December 1946, and began to paint as early as

three years old. He has long favored to paint subjects that dealt with
etymology and history. His paintings exude expression and life and, at the same time, become
tableaus of historical events. There are like time machines that make viewers witnesses of the events
of the past. The accuracy of his works is very important to him, spending days and even months
researching and studying every detail that he would put in his paintings, making sure of the
historical accuracy of his works. Due to his diligence and passion, his works are often used by
museums and other institutions to serve as visuals for their exhibits. His collection entitled Sugbo sa Karaang Panahon
features paintings that show the precolonial times of the Visayas and the tribes of Mindanao.

Martino Abellana
Martino Abellana, also known as "Noy Tinong," was an important personality in the
development of art in Cebu and the rest of the Visayas. He is acknowledged as the "Dean of Cebuano
Painters." His exposure to the arts started at an early age since he came from a family of artists.

He was an in-demand muralist and portraiture artist. He is also

known for his seascapes depicting the beautiful shores and beaches of Cebu.
He later became the head of the Fine Arts Department of the University of the Philippines, Cebu.
He served as a great inspiration and influence to generations of Visayan artists, one that can still be
seen decades after his death in 1988.

MINDANAO

Mariano Amar Catague

Mariano "Anoy" Amar Catague, born in 1967, was a Davao artist who depicts the Lumads in
his figurative paintings. His passion for the indigenous tribes began when he had interacted with the
Manuvu tribe in Agusan del Norte. When he witnessed how the Lumads' peaceful way of living were
destroyed by the militarization in the area, he decided that he would dedicate his artistic talents to
them. In his paintings, Catague often shows the native people in the serenity of their homeland. He
would paint them in their tribal attire, playing their indigenous musical instruments, or doing their
ordinary chores.

The paintings give a feel of serenity and peace, but still calls attention to the suffering that the
ethnic tribe faces as they are often driven away from their sacred ancestral land. Looking at Catague's
paintings of the Lumads, you would notice his attention to facial expressions, especially the eyes. He
further emphasizes this feature with patterns of lines and dots. He also gives emphasis to his figure's hands
and feet by enlarging and ornamenting them. He believes that these are important since these are the
primary tools the indigenous people use to make a living. Catague is also a chronicler.

During his time with the Manuvu, he videographed the Lumadnon theater group, the Kaliwat
Theater Collective that offered an authentic look of the performing arts of the Lumads. His works have
been shown in at least eight solo exhibitions and thirty-eight group exhibitions here and abroad. His passion and love for
the Lumads of Mindanao have never waned in his art as he continues to bring awareness to the social injustices the natives
are experiencing. This passion of his has given him the title "Painter of the Lumads."

Saudi Ahmad
Saudi Ahmad, based in Sibugay, Zamboanga, is said to be one of Mindanao's greatest painters.
His works have been displayed in many exhibits here and abroad. His clients include many prominent
businessmen and socialites. His works are often sold even before they are finished.

His works are inspired by the rich culture and tradition of the Filipino Muslims. His subjects
are often genre paintings of community life, with his figures garbed in colorful and detailed costumes.
He believes that through his work he can connect the values of the past to the present making it more relevant to the younger
generation.

His works are intricately made using his trademark technique that he calls subtraction, a
process in which he would apply watercolor on an area and then using a brush dipped in water he
would erase or lighten the applied watercolor. Using the watered brush, he would erase lines and
patterns from the painted area. It is a tedious and time-consuming process that entails a steady hand
and precise movements. The Sibugay provincial government has submitted his name to be considered
for the National Artist Award.

Bert Monterona
Bert Monterona was originally from Iligan City, but is now based in Vancouver, Canada.
Even if he is abroad, he admits that the works that he does are heavily influenced by his indigenous
roots. His works are known all over the world for his use of color, human figures, symbols, and
motifs that cannot deny his Filipino heritage. He believes that though it is good to study foreign
works, one should not be fully influenced by it.

He says that an artist should still retain what calls "basic native, creativity" and use of local
materials to create a more authentic art in terms of forms and emotions. This, for him, is the way to
be truly unique: and nationalistic

Monterona is a mixed media artist that is known for his innovative of indigenous materials for his art, specifically
for his tapestry paintings and bamboo stick paintings.

His tapestry paintings have bark-like quality through his use of dye and textile paint. His
tapestry paintings depict Filipino myths and rituals decorated with native motifs such as cloud
scallops, triangular mountains, flame, and leaf-like patterns created by the outgrowth of flora and
the terrain. His figures are dressed in traditional costumes complemented with jewelry, tattoos,
okirs, regional artifacts, etc.

While doing research on the local arts, he was inspired to develop a technique to use inexpensive and readily
available materials for his art. This resulted with his trademark technique—bamboo stick painting. He uses textile paint
applied on chipboard (the type used for cakes and gift boxes). He then uses different sizes and widths of bamboo as a palette
and brush to create his paintings,

Monterona is also known as a political artist. He uses his artworks to give commentaries
on the issues of the present. During the time of the Martial Law he witnessed the social injustice
the industry workers in Mindanao faced. Throughout his career he would often call attention to
different social issues such as human rights, economic condition, and feminism in the country. He
believes that as an artist it is his duty and responsibility to educate through art.

Abdulmari Imao
The late Abdulmari Asia Imao is one of the most well-known visual artists from Sulu,
Mindanao. He is a painter, photographer, ceramist, cultural researcher, documentary filmmaker, and
sculptor. He was recognized as a National Artist in 2006. Imao received trainings from different
prestigious universities here and abroad.

Imao's style is one of the most recognizable in contemporary

art. His stylized depictions of the indigenous motifs such as the Okir,
sarimanok, and the naga can easily be identified with him. He is also
said to be one of the reasons why Filipinos are more aware and knowledgeable of these
cultural motifs. Being a proud Muslim, he also uses elements that are inspired by his Muslim
faith such as calligraphy and arabesque patterns.