Aleeza Dana Sy

2014-49282
Art Studies 2
Gerardo Lucena
Philippine Art and its Different Ideas
The Vargas Museum holds a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, documentaries and
pieces of writing that reflect everything about the Philippines. Visiting for the first time, I was
deeply fascinated and amazed by the diversity Philippine art can offer. Each artist has his own
style. I can say that each piece is unique from the other yet all pieces convey a singular general
theme. Philippine art reflects the daily life of the Filipino, and artistic styles help convey the
artists' perspective on Filipino daily life.
Viewing the art at the museum has shown me the many colors and tones of Philippine
everyday life. Some aspects of Philippine daily life include livelihood, religious beliefs and
mythical beliefs. For example, Fernando Armosolo's paintings mostly show the livelihood of
Filipinos, which is primarily agriculture. In my perspective, Armosolos work reflects the life of
the Filipinos on the fields; farmers are plowing rice fields and gathering harvest. Furthermore, I
believe that Armosolo puts romanticism in peasant life, since most of his paintings look calm and
serene, an environment that most people would like to have if not for the hectic lifestyle they
live, especially in the 21st century. Agriculture is one of the main industries here in the
Philippines since it is rich in rice fields and plains. Since agriculture is a part of Philippine
culture today, it is a part of Philippine daily life. Other than livelihood, the art displayed in the
Vargas Museum also portrays the religious beliefs and mythical beliefs of the Philippine people.
There are some paintings and sculptures in the Vargas Museum that reflect the Catholicism, the

dominant religion of the country, and idolatry during the pre-colonial era in the general
collection; however, what stood out most to me was the special collection on the third floor of
the museum- Manix Abreras collection of comic strips from his piece 14. His comics basically
are about the Philippine mythical creatures like the Kapre, Diwata, Dwende, and Manananggal
mingling with humans in a fantastical and dystopian setting. This in particular reflects Philippine
daily life because Philippine folklore is deeply rooted in our culture; it is an identity that
Filipinos always carry for the rest of their lives. 14 also showcases the humanity within
Filipinos; the characters in the comic show sadness loss, greed, and seduction, traits relatable to
every viewer and reader. Despite the somber tone of 14, these traits are still a part of Philippine
daily life because Filipinos are humans after all who have their weaknesses. It is a part of life,
and these feelings of sadness, loss, greed and seduction are applicable in a contemporary setting.
Philippine livelihood, religion and mythical beliefs all encompass the Filipino identity, and these
aspects still apply and are carried on to the 21st century. These are all elements that make up the
culture and life of the Filipino.
To reflect the idea of Philippine everyday life, each artist uses his or her own style of art.
For example, Fermando Armosolo primarily uses warm colors in his paintings to reflect the
beauty of the Philippine landscape. He also makes use of impressionism to depict romanticism
and idealism of a peaceful and serene peasant life. As for Manix Abreras style, his is very
simple. Since 14 is a comic book, then it is expected that Abreras illustrations are cartoony.
The details are not too intricate, and his illustrations displayed are actually in black and white. It
is also expected that as a comic book, 14 has text to showcase explicitly what is happening in
the story; however, 14 does not contain any speech bubble at all! It may be quite surprising,
but I believe that Abrera wishes for his readers and audience members to use their imagination

and to reach out to their deep emotions to fully understand the art pieces. This kind of simple
style helps reflect the dark tone of 14 as well as the enigma of Philippine folklore in a
contemporary and dystopian setting. Philippine art may concur on the idea of promoting
Philippine culture, but each artist focuses on different specific aspects of Philippine culture and
has his or her own unique style to promote these aspects.
Art indeed comes in different forms, and each piece depicts an idea different from the
rest. My visit to the Vargas Museum generally shows Philippine culture, and clearly artists
choose to show the different facets of Philippine culture, as seen in Armosolos paintings of rice
fields and peasant life and in Manix Abreras modern or take on Philippine folklore. Unique
styles- the varied use of color, brush stroke, shape and size- can make a distinctive feature in a
piece. Nevertheless, when all works are compiled together, people recognize this collection as
Philippine art.