The Filipino Concept of Art

• The Filipino concept of art has no such western distinctions as academic, elitist, and hierarchical
• Academic art


  Only school people are artists
• Elitist art


  Meant for the higher social class
• The Filipino concept of art does not have these western distinctions
• Damian Domingo


  • Father of Philippine painting
  • Founded first art school in Philippines in 1821
  • Became professor and director of Philippine Art Academy
• Damian Domingo's masterpieces


  • Tipos del pais (watercolor of Filipinos in native costumes)
• Juan Luna


  • Considered an academic, westernized Filipino painter
  • Studied in Spain and won gold medal in 1884 for Spolarium painting
  • Arrested for murdering wife and mother-in-law but acquitted on grounds of crime of passion
• Juan Luna's painting


  • Spolarium (won gold medal in 1884)
  • Espana e Filipinas (1886)
• The Philippine art and the Western art are uniting and harmonizing with one another
• Examples of Filipino indigenous arts


  • Baskets from Samar
  • Pastillas wrappers from Pampanga
  • Vinta art from Sulu
  • Sarimanok design from Maranao
  • Ifugao bullol art
  • Parol lanterns
  • Tricycle designs
  • Philippine ice cream carts
• The Filipino identity and the Western identity should have a relationship, with the Philippine culture being dynamic in its relation with other cultures
• A truly Philippine identity in the arts would emerge out of the shared cultural universe not only of our own people but of humanity as a whole
• The principle of cultural identity does not mean that cultures cannot be criticized - most cultures have to change some beliefs and practices to become compatible with one another
• Individual activity


  1. Find a native Philippine product or work of art

  2. Take a photo of it

  3. Answer questions about where you found it, what it's made of, its local name, and how it expresses the Filipino concept of art

  4. Write a one paragraph essay on how the product/artifact expresses the Filipino concept of art
• There is a rubric provided for the individual activity
• There will be a chapter test