CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE REGIONS
• Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Region is an art
produced at the present period in time. In vernacular
English, “modern” and “contemporary” are synonyms,
resulting in some conflation of the terms “modern art” and
“contemporary art” by non-specialists.
• Art plays a significant part in the rich cultural identity of the
Philippines. It mirrors the Filipino people, it’s history,
traditions and the country as a whole. Diverse art forms in
the different parts of the archipelago, when integrated, will
give a clear picture of what kind of country the Philippines is
and what kind of people the Filipinos are.
• This art forms developed from the early times continue to
evolve up to the present. From the ethnic tradition, it
continues to progress to contemporary art tradition.
• As Filipino, one should have the knowledge of the different
forms of art in the Philippines to fully grasp its identity as a
nation and to completely embrace oneself as a citizen of the
country.
• The term "visual arts" encompasses a wide range of forms
created by Filipinos. It ranges from Western-influenced
visual art forms to works created by folk and indigenous
people. Traditionally, these visual art forms include painting,
sculpture, and architecture. However, there are other
functional visual art forms in the country that need to be
appreciated as well. Some of these forms include
advertising art, basketry, metal craft, mat weaving,
pottery, and textile weaving.
INTEGRATIVE ART AS APPLIED TO CONTEMPORARY ART
ARTS
• Something that is created with imagination and skill and
that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or
feelings.
• The expression or appreciation of human creative skill
and imagination
• Its origin came from:
o Aryan root AR, meaning “to put together”
o 2 Greek words, ARTIZEIN (to prepare) &
ARKISKEIN (to put together)
o Latin terms ARS, ARTIS (everything that is
artificially made or composed by man)
CONTEMPORARY
• Existing or occurring at the present time.
• Kontemporaneo (UP Diksyonaryong Filipino) : nabibilang
o umiiral sa kasalukuyang panahon ; sumusunod sa
modernong ideya o modang estilo o disenyo.
• In vernacular English, it is synonymous with the word
modern.
CONTEMPORARY ARTS
• Art produced at the present period in time.
• Art of today, produced by artists who are living in the
21stcentury.
• Refers to the recent & current practice of art ranging from
the 1970s up to the present.
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INTEGRATIVE ARTS
• Integrating: to bring together or incorporate [parts] into a
whole
• Integrated: in arts, used to denote the integration of the
art experience into the learning process.
• Integrated Arts Practice: refers to the interdisciplinary
art, art research, development, production, presentation,
or artistic creation of work that fully uses 2 or more art
disciplines to create a work for a specific audience (e.g.,
music & drama, opera).
PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY ART
• The Philippine Contemporary Art is divided into seven major
forms namely: Visual Arts, Literature, Music, Theater,
Dance, Architecture, and Film.
Historical Background
• The development of Philippine Art comes from three major
traditions:
1. Ethnic Tradition (pre-colonial)
o High land people mimic animal movements as
choreography.
o Pottery, weaving, wood carving, and metal crafting
were dominant during the pre-colonial period as
visual art.
o About architecture using local materials such as
anahaw, bamboo, cogon, cane, rattan, and other light
materials in constructing structures.
o Folk literature came in the form of folk speeches,
songs, and narratives.
o Theater art: tribal presentations and rituals depicting
their beliefs.
o In music, ancestors owned bamboo flutes and brass
gongs as indigenous instruments.
2. Spanish Colonial Tradition
o Replacing Philippine Indigenous art with Western art
forms.
o Propagating Christianity and maintaining the power
of colonizers, Religion, and secularization (not
religious) greatly influenced the art in the Philippines.
▪ Literary works classification: religious and secular,
prose and poetry
▪ Choreography for religious dance: venerate (show
deep respect) to patrons and saints proliferated.
(increase of number quickly)
▪ Secular dances: valse, fandango, polka, and minuet
▪ Musical instruments: the popularity of orchestras and
bands
▪ Visual art: painting and sculpture (religious matter)
▪ Architecture: stones and bricks for structures, in and
exterior designs.
▪ Decorative designs: metal and wood carving product
3. American Tradition and Contemporary Traditions
o Changes in politics, economy, education, and culture
o Modern art was referred to in year the 1860s-1960s,
the rise of the middle-class family, secularization,
changes in the political system, and technological
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 innovation. (experimental approach-practice and o Color is a very important element because it can
methodology) communicate information and emotion to the viewer.
o Modern art deeply develops after World War II o Hue, which refers to the basic or pure color, and is
(1945) represented in the color wheel.
o Contemporary art refers to the recent and current o Value, which refers to the lightness and darkness of a
practice of art from 1970 up to the present. It mirrors color. Light color or tint is the result of adding white to
the society and culture of the present times. a hue, while a dark color or shade results from adding
black to a hue.
ART AND ITS VISUAL ELEMENTS
o Saturation, which refers to brightness and dullness of
• In order to understand how to describe a painting or a
a color. It is also referred to as purity of color. A bright
sculpture, it is important to comprehend first the visual
color can be produced by adding more pigment to the
elements of art. These visual elements of art are line, color,
same hue, while dull color can be produced by adding
shape, space, value, texture, time, and motion.
gray or the color’s complement to the pigment.
1. Line
The color wheel is an arrangement of primary, secondary, and
o This refers to a prolongation of a point, or mark on a tertiary colors. Identifying which colors will work well
surface. Solid lines can be used in order to define
form while broken lines are typically used to suggest
hidden forms. Lines are also used to suggest
dimensions, and guide to visual movement.
▪ The vertical line signifies ambition and strength.
▪ Diagonal line usually signifies dynamic action, conflict,
or stress.
▪ The horizontal line signifies rest and peace.
▪ Monochromatic – This color scheme involves using the
▪ Broken lines suggest lines that are hidden from the
same hue but with different gradients of value.
viewer.
▪ Analogous – The analogous color scheme entails the
2. Color
use of three or four adjacent colors in the color wheel.
o This refers to visual perception that allows a person to
▪ Complementary – The complementary color scheme
differentiate objects due to the way various
involves the use of color and its complement. Meaning
wavelengths of light reflected.
the color is located opposite of the first color.
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▪ Split- complementary – This scheme uses the two
colors adjacent to the complement.
▪ Triadic – This color scheme uses three colors that are
equal distance with each other.
▪ Tetradic – Also known as a double complementary
color scheme, this uses two pairs of complementary
colors.
3. Texture
o This element refers to the feel or appearance of a
surface. A person may describe texture if the surface
is either smooth or rough
▪ Actual texture can be felt tangibly based on the
material that is used for the artwork
▪ Implied texture can be exhibited, for instance, in a
painting of the fur of an animal.
4. Space
o Space refers to the area that is occupied by an object.
An illusion of space can still be created on a two-
dimensional surface using perspective.
▪ Atmospheric perspective - Utilizes the properties of
light and air in depicting the illusion in distance (cooler,
lighter, and less saturated)
▪ Linear perspective - It involves the use of vanishing
points and receding hidden lines.
5. Time and Motion
o Movement in the visual arts can either be an illusion
or an actual motion. An illusion of movement is more
common in two-dimensional artworks. On the other
hand, actual motion is easily seen in kinetic sculpture.
6. Shape and Mass
o This element of art refers to an area with boundaries
identified or drawn using lines.
▪ A shape may be based on natural or living forms. This
shape is called an organic shape and can be irregular
or rounded.
▪ A shape may also be based on measured forms. This
shape, on the other hand, is called a geometric shape.
• In contrast, which is two- dimensional, mass refers to
solid portions of a three-dimensional object
VARIOUS ART FORMS FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES
• Traditional art is a part of a culture of a certain group of
people, with skills and knowledge passed down through
generations from masters to apprentices. It portrays the
simple life before the massive growth of a country.
• The traditional arts in the Philippines include folk
architecture, maritime transport, famous sculpture in the
Philippines, weaving, carving, folk performing arts, folk
(oral) literature, folk graphic and plastic arts, ornament,
pottery, and other artistic expressions of traditional
culture. Among the most famous forms of traditional art in
the Philippines is weaving. Each island (Luzon, Visayas,
and Mindanao) has its own distinctive style of weaving to
show the Philippine culture.
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What are the forms of artworks in the Philippines?
• There are different artworks in the Philippines like traditional
arts, indigenous arts, and contemporary arts in the
Philippines or modern art in the Philippines.
• These forms of arts include Philippine paintings, visual arts
in the Philippines, performing artists in the Philippines,
sculpture in the Philippines, Philippine wood carving, and
more.
Who are the national artists of the Philippines?
•Whether it’s a traditional art in the Philippines, visual arts in the
Philippines, or contemporary arts in the Philippines, there is
surely a Filipino artist that has made a name in the field. Here’s
a list of the national Filipino artists to know:
• Napoleon V. Abueva (Sculpture)
• Lamberto V. Avellana (Theater and Film)
• Lucrecia R. Urtula (Dance)
• Lucrecia R. Kasilag (Music)
• Francisco Arcellana (Literature)
• Cesar F. Legaspi (Visual Arts)
• Leandro V. Locsin (Architecture)
Arts in the Philippines (Painting, Dancing, Weaving, Sculpting,
Pottery & others.)
I. Painting
o The expression of ideas and emotions, with the
creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in a two-
dimensional visual language.

• Fernando Amorsolo (Painting) o Colors, shapes, lines, textures

• Francisca R. Aquino (Dance) o Introduced by Spaniards during the 16th century.
• Carlos V. Francisco (Painting)
o Spaniards used paintings as religious propaganda
• Amado V. Hernandez (Literature)
of spreading Catholicism.
• Antonio J. Molina (Music)
• Vicente S. Manansala (Painting) o During World War II, some painters focused their
• Carlos P. Romulo (Literature) artwork on the effects of the war. Common themes
• Gerardo de Leon (Cinema) included battle scenes, destruction, and the
• Honorata “Atang” dela Rama (Theater and Music) suffering of the Filipino people.
• Antonino R. Buenaventura (Music) ▪ Watercolor Paintings increased and the
• Leonor O. Goquingco (Dance) subject matter of paintings began to include
• Nick Joaquin (Literature) landscapes, Filipino inhabitants, Philippine
• Jovita Fuentes (Music) fashion, and government officials.
• Victorio C. Edades (Painting)
• Pablo S. Antonio (Architecture) ▪ Portrait Paintings featured the painters
themselves, Filipino jewelry, and native
• Juan F. Nakpil (Architecture)
furniture.
• Guillermo E. Tolentino (Sculpture)
• Jose Garcia Villa (Literature)
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 ▪ Landscape Paintings featured artist’s names 3. Bendayan/Bendian
are painted ornately as well as day-to-day
o Origin: Benguet Province, Northern Luzon
scenes of average Filipinos partaking in their
daily tasks. o a dance to celebrate the arrival of successful
headhunters.
II. Dance
4. Manmanok
a. Cordillera
o Tribe: Bago
1. Banga
o Three Bago Tribe roosters compete against each
o Tribe: Kalinga
other for the attention of Lady Lien. They use
o "Banga" literally means pots. blankets depicting colorful plumes to attract her.
o Is a contemporary performance of Kalinga of the 5. Salisid
Mountain Province in the Philippines.
o Tribe: Kalinga
o Illustrates the languid grace of a tribe otherwise
o Kalinga courtship dance, is performed by a male
known as fierce warriors.
and female (and thus is sometimes called the
o Heavy earthen pots, (7-8 times) are balanced on "cayoo" dance).
the heads of maidens as they trudge to the beat of
o The male simulates a rooster trying to attract the
the "gangsa" or wind chimes displaying their
attention of a hen while the female imitates the
stamina and strength as they go about their daily
movements of a hen being circled by a rooster.
task of fetching water and balancing the Banga.
6. Salip
2. Lumagen/ Tachok
o Tribe: Kalinga
o Tribe: Kalinga
o Kalinga wedding dance.
o to celebrate a happy occasion like the birth of a
first-born baby boy, a wedding, or a budong o The bridegroom offers the bride the protection and
(peace pact). comfort of his blanket. He simulates the
movements of a rooster at love play, aspiring to
o danced by the Kalinga maiden.
attract and seize his love.
o dance imitates birds flying in the air. Music is
o The bride's friends are ready to help prepare by
provided by gangsa, or gongs, which are usually in
offering "bangas" (earthen pots) filled with fresh
a group of six or more.
water from the mountain spring.

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 7. Tarektek
o Tribe: Benguet
o Two tareketek woodpeckers vie for the attention of
three females.
o One Male woodpecker rhythmically bang on a
brass gong to represent a good voice, while the
other swish about a colorful blanket representing
beautiful plumage.
8. Uyaoy/Uyauy
o Tribe: Ifugao
o Ifugao people are said to be the “children of the
earth”
o word ipugao means "coming from the earth."
o Ifugao wedding festival dance is accompanied by
gongs and is performed by the affluent to attain the
second level of the wealthy class.
o Wealthy people (Kadangyan) who have performed
this dance are entitled to the use of gongs at their
death
b. Muslim
c. Tribal
1. Malakas at Maganda
o It interprets the Manobo folklore wherein a weary
bird perched on a large bamboo and heard strange
noises inside.
o It pecked the bamboo until it split open. From inside
the bamboo came the first man and woman
Malakas (the strong) and Maganda (the beautiful),
respectively.
2. Bagobo
o Bagobo Rice Cycle (also known as Sugod Uno) is
a tribal dance performed by the Bagobo people of
Davao del Sur. To the Bagobo, the dance is called
Miyamas neng Ommoy. Ommoy is a Bagobo term
for the rice grains without husks. The dance
portrays the step- by-step cycle rice culture; from
planting, harvesting to thanksgiving rituals for a
bountiful rice harvest.
3. Binaylan Folk Dance
o Binaylan is a Higaonon and Agusanon Manobo
tribal dance
that depicts the movement of a hawk, a hen, and
her banog or baby chicks. The tribe killed the
sacred and powerful hawk which tried to capture
one of the chicks.
4. Tinikling
o Tinikling is the Philippines' national dance and is
a traditional folk dance that originated during the
Spanish colonial era. A dance that uses a pair of
bamboo poles, Tinikling is considered to be the
oldest traditional dance of the country and is also
danced across the globe, particularly in the United
States.
o The Tinikling is said to be named after the long-
legged bird called the tikling in the Philippines.
5. Singkil
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o Singkil, the Filipino dance, involves rich
ornamental costumes and a female lead and
male lead and other dancers elegantly dancing
between rhythmically striking bamboo poles
held by the fellow dance troupe. There are many
bamboo pole based dances in the world but this
one has a distinctive flair about it.

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