An Introduction to Filipino Visual Arts By Rhona Lopez Nath The visual arts of the Philippines is a constantly evolving product

of interactions by trade, religious missions, and colonization within and beyond the shores of its 7,100 islands. From its north came traders from China and Japan. From its south came not just traders, but also Muslim missionaries of Arabic origin. From its west also came Hindu and Buddhist influences from cultures with deeply ingrained Indian and Chinese themes. Lastly, from its east and the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, came the colonial powers, foremost of which was Spain, which possessed the Philippines (so named after the royal prince who became King Philip II) for over 400 years. Prior to these many foreign incursions, the indigenous tribes of the Philippines who were largely of MalayoPolynesian origin already had their own distinct arts of weaving, ceramics, woodwork, and metalwork. Indigenous resources and materials such as capiz shells from the ocean and fibers from abaca, banana, and pineapple were used. While these traditions were still largely preserved when Spanish colonizers arrived in the sixteenth century, a dominant focus of what became Philippine visual arts had changed. This is largely because the Spanish came over with the determination to make the Philippines a bastion of Roman Catholic Christianity in the Asia Pacific. Unlike their counterparts in the Americas who gained independence from Spain, natives of the archipelago were not largely taught the Spanish or Latin languages (the languages of government & religion), most likely to discourage access to higher socioeconomic and political stature. Instead, the Spanish colonizers in the Philippines creatively communicated biblical stories to Filipinos through the use of art paintings, sculpted statues of saints, and engravings throughout churches of the stations of the cross were a popular method of depicting biblical scenes and communicating Christian values, moral standards, and aspirations. As the imperial Spanish became more prominent in the country, they strongly encouraged the production of religious objects in all types of art, including traditional Filipino forms, through a system of artistic patronage. Today, the Spanish influence on the Philippines remains prominent in its culture as well as its art: about four-fifths of the country identifies as Roman Catholic. Still, thankfully there are significant sections of the Philippines that valiantly preserve and celebrate through unique visual arts other vital aspects of the diverse Philippine identity, such as the Aga Khan Museum of Islamic Art in at Mindanao State University in Marawi, and throughout Mindanao there are still stunning mosques depicting the Philippines' other past dominant religion, Islam. There is also the Kaisa Heritage Center in the original walled city of Manila, Intramuros, which ably represents the historical and cultural legacy of the Chinese in Philippine culture, and there are Buddhist temples and monasteries with their own religious visual art to be seen in certain areas of the archipelago. With the Philippines being an American colony during the 1st half of the 20th century also came Protestantism, as well as newer mediums of visual arts that Filipinos have also grown to adapt well to their own culture, such as the making of comics and movies. Now in the 21st century of digital media and the ongoing diaspora of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) worldwide, Filipino visual arts will continue to dynamically both influence and be influenced within and beyond its geographical borders, proving the adaptive endurance of true beauty and wisdom in endless diversity. About the Author: As president of the Philippine Arts Council of Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, California and a permanent US resident with Philippine citizenship, Rhona Lopez Nath strives to improve cultural awareness of Filipino culture and arts throughout North America.