Painting the Filipino peoples' struggles in indigenous art

Art

In pre-Hispanic Philippines, locals adorn their bodies with tattoos that depict their conquests, everyday life, their faith, and nature.

It was more than just cosmetics, but also it was used to gain the favor of gods or to imbue the wearer with the power of the gods, especially for the warrior class, as well as to immortalize the wearer's life milestones.

When the Spaniards arrived in the islands, particularly in the Visayas region, one of the terms they used to describe the locals is pintados, or painted ones, because the people they saw were adorned in tattoos, many from head to toe. These pintados were described in the colonizers' chronicles and illustrated in detail in the 15th century Spanish manuscript, the Boxer Codex.

Taking inspiration from the ancient culture of body painting in the Visayas islands, artist Armand Jake Dayoha endeavored to define an art genre that reflects a truly Filipino spirit, paying homage to the ancient art custom of the islands.

In introducing his works, Dayoha pointed out how Western art have carved its influence on local artists, relegating the use of indigenous elements to the margins, and those that are incorporated into contemporary works "have occasionally veered towards nativist and romantic tendencies."

"Through my encounters with ethnographic objects of indigenous peoples, I have been captivated by the ornate, decorative, and symbolic features that distinguish their works from Western references," Dayoha said in his statement.

In this collection of 12 works, aside from using sharp geometric figures reminiscent of the ancient body painting tradition of the region, Dayoha also made sure that the works depict the everyday struggles of the ordinary Filipino people.

"My work is rooted in collective struggles for human welfare, utilizing these materials to depict contemporary social realities and allowing motifs, patterns, cultural icons, and symbols to assume new significance," he said.

Hapos, for example, according to the artist's description, pays "homage to the struggle of the workers overcoming oppressive forces personified by the dog-like figure." The colors used also recalls the colors of struggle - red, black, and white.

Inang Bayan, on the other hand, is a reimagining of the symbol of nationhood, popularly represented by a Filipinized maiden that recalls servitude. The symbol is reimagined by Dayohas as a pregnant woman warrior reminiscent of the brave Pangasinense princess-warrior, Urduja. The artist said that this symbolizes "the birth of a nation through the struggle for liberation, which will continue for generations to come."

A victim of military abduction and torture, Dayoha is not alien to the struggles and aspirations of the ordinary Filipino. His involvement in development work particularly as an organizer of health workers in Cebu, exposed him to the realities of life for the struggling Filipinos in the margins. These experiences laid the groundwork for his works, with the aim of conscientisizing his audience and art enthusiasts on these basic realities.

"By bridging tradition and the contemporary, I create aesthetics firmly rooted in our history and experiences, fostering a sense of nation, and establishing an identity," he added.

The exhibit features works in a style reminiscent of the ancient body painting tradition of the region. Although some works are muted monochromes and bichromes like Usa Nga Kahig, Usa Nga Tuka (One Scratch, One Peck), others use colors that loudly proclaims its message (e.g. Sabong or Cockfight).

Red, blue, gold, and black were the dominant colors used as these were also the colors widely available for the indigenous Filipinos and easily accessible in their environs.

The exhibit ran from June 24 to 30 at Cebu's heritage hotel, Palm Grass.

For more information on the artist and his works, check out his Instagram at @mr.aramanada.

(This article was first published in Bulatlat.com)