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ARTA INPUTS FINALS

Throughout history, art has played an integral role to capture, record, and communicate events, activities, traditions, and even belief systems of various
groups of people. Even Paleolithic societies have found ways to record events despite the unavailability or limited access to various tools. In essence,
art has been an instrument to reflect the things and events that transpired in the past so that the future generations can have a glimpse of that past. With
the advent of technological advancements, societies have improved the ways and means through which art can be communicative tool. If an artwork is
an avenue for an artist to express narratives through symbols, then if follows that the artist is the author of the work. But during the twentieth century,
issues on ownership and authorship have emerged promarily because of the value ascribed to the viewer of the work.

Soulmaking: Making and Deriving Meaning from Art

In order for humans to make sense of language and derive meanings from words, semantics and grammatical rules are important elements to be
considered. Aside from this, contex and symbolisms are also considered to interpret and analyze either verval or written works: When it comes to art, in
order for people to make sense of the work, it would require understanding the visual elements where art was grounded on, especially the principles of
design. It is important to note that the audience of the artwork must have a certain level of awareness to the style, form, and content of the said work.
Without such understanding, it would be difficult to appriciate the visual arts in its fullness and entirety.

Style refers to the distinctive handling of elements and media associated with the work of an individual artist, a school, a movement, or a specific
cuture or time period (Fitchner-Rathus, 2013). Throughout history, there have been developments in art styles that depict different and varied methods of
expression. Artworks also have a certain form. This form is what the audience sees-a finished product put harmoniously (or not) according to the
different principles of design. In essense, form is the totality of the artwork, which includes the textures, colors, and shapes utilized by the artist. The
content of an artwork includes the not only its form but also its subject matter and underlying meanings or themes (Fitchner-Rathus, 2013). The
perceiver of the artwork must take into consideration the totality of elements, underlying themes and motifs, and composition.

Improvisation

Improvisation can be defined as doing something without prior preparation. There is a decision to act upon something that may not necessarily be
planned. Within the present context, improvation has become an integral part of the arts. Some would say that it is a reaction agains the stiffness in the
arts during the twentieth century. There is a call for liberation from monotory taht aims to rekindle the creative spirits of people in the arts.

For some artists, infusing spontaneity and improvation adds up to the totality of the work of art. The unexpectedness of the changes brought about
by improvasation makes the artwork to have a distinctive quality that creates its individuality and identity. Some artists subscribe to the idea of allowing
chances in the process of producing the work. For example, artists would want to capture the gloom brought about by an approaching storm or the
beauty of a meteor shower at night. Since they do not necessarily have absolute control over natural phenomena, their reliance on chances may not
necessarily produce their expected outcome. Artists allowing their subjects do improvision may have totally different result as well.

When an artists makes his work, he has already an idea of the elements that will be included in his work. As begins to craft his work, he may have
deviated from his original plan. So in essence, improvisation is evident in the process of making the painting. During the 1960s, art improvisation has
taken from in the galleries aroud New York City. Performance art, dance, and visual arts were combined to create new forms of artworks usuing a new
medium. These performances were known as the “happenings” which later on paved the way for meodern body art and performance art. One of central
figures in the improvisation movement was Geaorge Mathieu. He started the “action painting” wherein the process is seen real-time. In scenario, the
process is more important than the finished product.

Appropriation

If, for example, an artist created a painting and displayed it in a museum, who do you think owns the artwork: the artist or his intended audience?
During the twentieth century, people started raising the question whether or not tha act of deriving meaning gives the ownership of the viewer rather than
the artist himself. This notion paved the way for the emergence of appropriation artists who seem to promote the idea that the authorship relies on the
viewer. If this is the case, then approriation artists can take as mush as he wants from an existing artwork.

Appropriation of arthas been a common practice throughout history. In the past, if an apprentice painter needs to hone his skills in his craft, he
would be allowed to use his master’s work to copy. It is as if the apprentice is trying to explore his personal application of techniques to something he is
more familiar with. However, there are some people who go to the extreme by believing that copying the exact artwork of an artist and attributing it to his
own. This could pose a problem especially with authorship. The problem arises when the approriation artist would get bits and pieces from other works
and incorporate these elements into their own, their voices and perspectives of the other artists get lost with that of the appropriation artist. There seems
to be a very thin demarcation line between appropriation art and forgery. Tradionally, forgery can be classified into two forms: outright copies of existing
works and pastiches, which are works that bring together elements from a work and infusing them to a new work. But in contemporary times, forgery can
be in the form of creating an approximate of what an artist would do by prediction. This can be done by observing the techniques and style the artist
employed and even the focal points highlighted in his previous and existing works.

The intensions of appropriation artist are often questioned since issues of plagiarism or forgery sometimes arise. Some would argue that the
reason behind the appropriation is that they want the audience to recognize the images they copied. There is a hope on the part of the artist for the
viewers to see the original work in a new perspective. That appropraition would bring about a new context to the original work. One of the most famous
works of appropriation would have to be Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans”(1962). Warhol copied the original labels of the soup can but cans is
something new for the audience. Just like any product, the brand is integral to Campbell’s identity. As an artist, Warhol decided to isolate the image of
the product. This attempt could in turn stimulate product recognition. A common viewer would associate the Campbell soup with the portraits of the soup
cans. This association would bring about a certain kind of craving for the sid product. In a way, it is a subtle form of aadvertising that would entice the
consumer to buy and patronize the product.

Appropriation refers to the act of borrowing or reusing existing elements within a new work. Post-modern appropriation artists, including Barbara Kruger,
are keen to deny the notion of ‘originality’. They believe that in borrowing existing imagery or elements of imagery, they are re-contextualising or
appropriating the original imagery, allowing the viewer to renegotiate the meaning of the original in a different, more relevant, or more current context.

In separating images from the original context of their own media, we allow them to take on new and varied meanings. The process and nature of
appropriation has considered by anthropologists as part of the study of cultural change and cross-cultural contact.
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Images and elements of culture that have been appropriated commonly involve famous and recognisable works of art, well known literature, and easily
accessible images from the media.

The first artist to successfully demonstrate forms of appropriation within his or her work is widely considered to be Marcel Duchamp. He devised the
concept of the ‘readymade’, which essentially involved an item being chosen by the artist, signed by the artist and repositioned into a gallery context.

The concepts of originality and of authorship are central to the debate of appropriation in contemporary art. We shall discuss these in depth in order to
contextualise the works we will investigate later in this essay. To properly examine the concept it is also necessary to consider the work of the artists
associated with appropriation with regards to their motivations, reasoning, and the effect of their work.

The term ‘author’ refers to one who originates or gives existence to a piece of work. Authorship then, determines a responsibility for what is created by
that author. The practice of appropriation is often thought to support the point of view that authorship in art is an outmoded or misguided concept.
Perhaps the most famous supporter of this notion was Roland Barthes. His 1966 work ‘The Death of the Author’ argued that we should not look to the
creator of a literary or artistic work when attempting to interpret the meaning inherent within. “The explanation of a work is always sought in the man or
woman who created it… (but) it is language which speaks; not the author.” With appropriated works, the viewer is less likely to consider the role of the
author or artist in constructing interpretations and opinions of the work if they are aware of the work from which it was appropriated.

The history of Asian art or Eastern art, includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions. Developments in Asian art historically
parallel those in Western art, in general a few centuries earlier. Chinese art, Indian art, Korean art, Japanese art, each had significant influence on
Western art, and vice versa. Near Eastern art also had a significant influence on Western art. Excluding prehistoric art, the art of Mesopotamia
represents the oldest forms of Asian art.

Buddhist art

Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th century BCE,
before evolving through its contact with other cultures and its diffusion through the rest of Asia and the world. Buddhist art traveled with believers as the
dharma spread, adapted, and evolved in each new host country. It developed to the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the
Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India, Buddhist art flourished
and even influenced the development of Hindu art, until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India around the 10th century CE due in part to the vigorous
expansion of Islam alongside Hinduism.

A common visual device in Buddhist art is the mandala. From a viewer's perspective, it represents schematically the ideal universe. In various spiritual
traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing the attention of aspirants and adepts, a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space and as
an aid to meditation and trance induction. Its symbolic nature can help one "to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately
assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises." The
psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as "a representation of the centre of the unconscious self," and believed his paintings of mandalas enabled
him to identify emotional disorders and work towards wholeness in personality.

Bhutanese art

The major orders of Buddhism in Bhutan are Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma. The former is a branch of the Kagyu School and is known for paintings
documenting the lineage of Buddhist masters and the 70 Je Khenpo (leaders of the Bhutanese monastic establishment). The Nyingma order is known
for images of Padmasambhava, who is credited with introducing Buddhism into Bhutan in the 7th century. According to legend, Padmasambhava hid
sacred treasures for future Buddhist masters, especially Pema Lingpa, to find. The treasure finders (tertön) are also frequent subjects of Nyingma art.

Each divine being is assigned special shapes, colors, and/or identifying objects, such as lotus, conch-shell, thunderbolt, and begging bowl. All sacred
images are made to exact specifications that have remained remarkably unchanged for centuries.

Bhutanese art is particularly rich in bronzes of different kinds that are collectively known by the name Kham-so (made in Kham) even though they are
made in Bhutan, because the technique of making them was originally imported from the eastern province of Tibet called Kham. Wall paintings and
sculptures, in these regions, are formulated on the principal ageless ideals of Buddhist art forms. Even though their emphasis on detail is derived from
Tibetan models, their origins can be discerned easily, despite the profusely embroidered garments and glittering ornaments with which these figures are
lavishly covered. In the grotesque world of demons, the artists apparently had greater freedom of action than when modeling images of divine beings.

The arts and crafts of Bhutan that represent the exclusive “spirit and identity of the Himalayan kingdom’ are defined as the art of Zorig Chosum, which
means the “thirteen arts and crafts of Bhutan”; the thirteen crafts are carpentry, painting, paper making, blacksmithery, weaving, sculpting and many
other crafts. The Institute of Zorig Chosum in Thimphu is the premier institution of traditional arts and crafts set up by the Government of Bhutan with the
sole objective of preserving the rich culture and tradition of Bhutan and training students in all traditional art forms; there is another similar institution in
eastern Bhutan known as Trashi Yangtse. Bhutanese rural life is also displayed in the ‘Folk Heritage Museum’ in Thimphu. There is also a ‘Voluntary
Artists Studio’ in Thimphu to encourage and promote the art forms among the youth of Thimphu.

Cambodian art

Cambodian art and the culture of Cambodia has had a rich and varied history dating back many centuries and has been heavily influenced by India. In
turn, Cambodia greatly influenced Thailand, Laos and vice versa. Throughout Cambodia's long history, a major source of inspiration was from
religion.[13] Throughout nearly two millennium, a Cambodians developed a unique Khmer belief from the syncreticism of indigenous animistic beliefs
and the Indian religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Indian culture and civilization, including its language and arts reached mainland Southeast Asia
around the 1st century CE. It is generally believed that seafaring merchants brought Indian customs and culture to ports along the gulf of Thailand and
the Pacific while trading with China. The first state to benefit from this was Funan. At various times, Cambodia culture also absorbed elements from
Javanese, Chinese, Lao, and Thai cultures.

Visual arts of Cambodia

The history of Visual arts of Cambodia stretches back centuries to ancient crafts; Khmer art reached its peak during the Angkor period. Traditional
Cambodian arts and crafts include textiles, non-textile weaving, silversmithing, stone carving, lacquerware, ceramics, wat murals, and kite-making.[16]
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Beginning in the mid-20th century, a tradition of modern art began in Cambodia, though in the later 20th century both traditional and modern arts
declined for several reasons, including the killing of artists by the Khmer Rouge. The country has experienced a recent artistic revival due to increased
support from governments, NGOs, and foreign tourists.

Khmer sculpture refers to the stone sculpture of the Khmer Empire, which ruled a territory based on modern Cambodia, but rather larger, from the 9th to
the 13th century. The most celebrated examples are found in Angkor, which served as the seat of the empire.

By the 7th century, Khmer sculpture begins to drift away from its Hindu influences – pre-Gupta for the Buddhist figures, Pallava for the Hindu figures –
and through constant stylistic evolution, it comes to develop its own originality, which by the 10th century can be considered complete and absolute.
Khmer sculpture soon goes beyond religious representation, which becomes almost a pretext in order to portray court figures in the guise of gods and
goddesses.[18] But furthermore, it also comes to constitute a means and end in itself for the execution of stylistic refinement, like a kind of testing
ground. We have already seen how the social context of the Khmer kingdom provides a second key to understanding this art. But we can also imagine
that on a more exclusive level, small groups of intellectuals and artists were at work, competing among themselves in mastery and refinement as they
pursued a hypothetical perfection of style.

Relief from Angkor

The gods we find in Khmer sculpture are those of the two great religions of India, Buddhism and Hinduism. And they are always represented with great
iconographic precision, clearly indicating that learned priests supervised the execution of the works.[15] Nonetheless, unlike those Hindu images which
repeat an idealized stereotype, these images are treated with great realism and originality because they depict living models: the king and his court. The
true social function of Khmer art was, in fact, the glorification of the aristocracy through these images of the gods embodied in the princes. In fact, the
cult of the “deva-raja” required the development of an eminently aristocratic art in which the people were supposed to see the tangible proof of the
sovereign's divinity, while the aristocracy took pleasure in seeing itself – if, it's true, in idealized form – immortalized in the splendour of intricate
adornments, elegant dresses and extravagant jewelry.

The sculptures are admirable images of a gods, royal and imposing presences, though not without feminine sensuality, makes us think of important
persons at the courts, persons of considerable power. The artists who sculpted the stones doubtless satisfied the primary objectives and requisites
demanded by the persons who commissioned them. The sculptures represent the chosen divinity in the orthodox manner and succeed in portraying,
with great skill and expertise, high figures of the courts in all of their splendour, in the attire, adornments and jewelry of a sophisticated beauty.

Chinese art

Chinese art (Chinese: 中國藝術/中国艺术) has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and changing
technology. Different forms of art have been influenced by great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders. Chinese art
encompasses fine arts, folk arts and performance arts. Chinese art is art, whether modern or ancient, that originated in or is practiced in China or by
Chinese artists or performers.

In the Song Dynasty, poetry was marked by a lyric poetry known as Ci (詞) which expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona. Also in the
Song dynasty, paintings of more subtle expression of landscapes appeared, with blurred outlines and mountain contours which conveyed distance
through an impressionistic treatment of natural phenomena. It was during this period that in painting, emphasis was placed on spiritual rather than
emotional elements, as in the previous period. Kunqu, the oldest extant form of Chinese opera developed during the Song Dynasty in Kunshan, near
present-day Shanghai. In the Yuan dynasty, painting by the Chinese painter Zhao Mengfu (趙孟頫) greatly influenced later Chinese landscape painting,
and the Yuan dynasty opera became a variant of Chinese opera which continues today as Cantonese opera.

Gongbi means "meticulous", the rich colours and details in the picture are its main features, its content mainly depicts portraits or narratives. Xieyi
means 'freehand', its form is often exaggerated and unreal, with an emphasis on the author's emotional expression and usually used in depicting
landscapes.[22]

In addition to paper and silk, traditional paintings have also been done on the walls, such as the Mogao Grottoes in Gansu Province. The Dunhuang
Mogao Grottoes were built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD). It consists of more than 700 caves, of which 492 caves have murals on the walls,
totalling more than 45,000 square meters. The murals are very broad in content, include Buddha statues, paradise, angels, important historical events
and even donors. The painting styles in early cave received influence from India and the West. From the Tang Dynasty (618-906 CE), the murals began
to reflect the unique Chinese painting style.

Chinese Calligraphy

The Chinese calligraphy can be traced back to the Dazhuan (large seal script) that appeared in the Zhou Dynasty. After Emperor Qin unified China,
Prime Minister Li Si collected and compiled Xiaozhuan (small seal) style as a new official text. The small seal script is very elegant but difficult to write
quickly. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, a type of script called the Lishu (Official Script) began to rise. Because it reveals no circles and very few curved
lines, it is very suitable for fast writing. After that, the Kaishu style (traditional regular script) has appeared, and its structure is simpler and neater, this
script is still widely used today.

Jade

Early jade was used as an ornament or sacrificial utensils. The earliest Chinese carved-jade object appeared in the Hemudu culture in the early Neolithic
period (about 3500–2000 BCE). During the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 bce), Bi (circular perforated jade) and Cong (square jade tube) appeared,
which were guessed as sacrificial utensils, representing the sky and the earth. In the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 bce), due to the using of higher hardness
engraving tools, jades were carved more delicately and began to be used as a pendant or ornament in clothing. Jade was considered to be immortal and
could protect the owner, so carved-jade objects were often buried with the deceased, such as a jade burial suit from the tomb of Liu Sheng, a prince of
the Western Han Dynasty.

Porcelain
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Porcelain is a kind of ceramics made from kaolin at high temperature. The earliest ceramics in China appeared in the Shang Dynasty (c.1600-1046
BCE). And the production of ceramics laid the foundation for the invention of porcelain. The history of Chinese porcelain can be traced back to the Han
Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). In the Tang Dynasty, porcelain was divided into celadon and white porcelain. In the Song Dynasty, Jingdezhen was
selected as the royal porcelain production centre and began to produce blue and white porcelain.

Modern Chinese art

After the end of the last feudal dynasty in China, with the rise of the new cultural movement, Chinese artists began to be influenced by Western art and
began to integrate Western art into Chinese culture. Influenced by American jazz, Chinese composer Li Jinhui (Known as the father of Chinese pop
music) began to create and promote popular music, which made a huge sensation. At the beginning of the 20th century, oil paintings were introduced to
China, and more and more Chinese painters began to touch Western painting techniques and combine them with traditional Chinese painting.
Meanwhile, a new form of painting, comics, has also begun to rise. It was popular with many people and became the most affordable way to entertain at
the time.

Indian art

Indian art can be classified into specific periods, each reflecting certain religious, political and cultural developments. The earliest examples are the
petroglyphs such as those found in Bhimbetka, some of them dating to before 5500 BC. The production of such works continued for several millenniums.

The art of the Indus Valley Civilization followed. Later examples include the carved pillars of Ellora, Maharashtra state. Other examples are the frescoes
of Ajanta and Ellora Caves.

The contributions of the Mughal Empire to Indian art include Mughal painting, a style of miniature painting heavily influenced by Persian miniatures, and
Mughal architecture.

During the British Raj, modern Indian painting evolved as a result of combining traditional Indian and European styles. Raja Ravi Varma was a pioneer of
this period. The Bengal school of Art developed during this period, led by Abanidranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Mukul Dey and
Nandalal Bose.

One of the most popular art forms in India is called Rangoli. It is a form of sandpainting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and
is used commonly outside homes in India.

The visual arts (sculpture, painting and architecture) are tightly interrelated with the non-visual arts. According to Kapila Vatsyayan, "Classical Indian
architecture, sculpture, painting, literature (kaavya), music and dancing evolved their own rules conditioned by their respective media, but they shared
with one another not only the underlying spiritual beliefs of the Indian religio-philosophic mind, but also the procedures by which the relationships of the
symbol and the spiritual states were worked out in detail."

Insight into the unique qualities of Indian art is best achieved through an understanding of the philosophical thought, the broad cultural history, social,
religious and political background of the artworks.

Indonesian art

Balinese painting of Prince Panji meeting three women in the jungle

Indonesian art and culture has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is
central along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a
multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural
mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures. Indonesia is not generally known for paintings, aside from the intricate and expressive
Balinese paintings, which often express natural scenes and themes from the traditional dances.

Kenyah mural painting in Long Nawang, East Kalimantan.

Other exceptions include indigenous Kenyah paint designs based on, as commonly found among Austronesian cultures, endemic natural motifs such as
ferns, trees, dogs, hornbills and human figures. These are still to be found decorating the walls of Kenyah Dayak longhouses in East Kalimantan's Apo
Kayan region.

Indonesia has a long-he Bronze and Iron Ages, but the art-form particularly flourished from the 8th century to the 10th century, both as stand-alone
works of art, and also incorporated into temples.

Relief sculpture from Borobudur temple, c. 760–830 AD

Most notable are the hundreds of meters of relief sculpture at the temple of Borobudur in central Java. Approximately two miles of exquisite relief
sculpture tell the story of the life of Buddha and illustrate his teachings. The temple was originally home to 504 statues of the seated Buddha. This site,
as with others in central Java, show a clear Indian influence.

Calligraphy, mostly based on the Qur'an, is often used as decoration as Islam forbids naturalistic depictions. Some foreign painters have also settled in
Indonesia. Modern Indonesian painters use a wide variety of styles and themes.

Balinese art is art of Hindu-Javanese origin that grew from the work of artisans of the Majapahit Kingdom, with their expansion to Bali in the late 13th
century. From the 16th until the 20th centuries, the village of Kamasan, Klungkung (East Bali), was the centre of classical Balinese art. During the first
part of the 20th century, new varieties of Balinese art developed. Since the late twentieth century, Ubud and its neighboring villages established a
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reputation as the center of Balinese art. Ubud and Batuan are known for their paintings, Mas for their woodcarvings, Celuk for gold and silversmiths, and
Batubulan for their stone carvings. Covarrubias describes Balinese art as, "... a highly developed, although informal Baroque folk art that combines the
peasant liveliness with the refinement of classicism of Hinduistic Java, but free of the conservative prejudice and with a new vitality fired by the
exuberance of the demonic spirit of the tropical primitive". Eiseman correctly pointed out that Balinese art is actually carved, painted, woven, and
prepared into objects intended for everyday use rather than as object d 'art.

In the 1920s, with the arrival of many western artists, Bali became an artist enclave (as Tahiti was for Paul Gauguin) for avant-garde artists such as
Walter Spies (German), Rudolf Bonnet (Dutch), Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur (Belgian), Arie Smit (Dutch) and Donald Friend (Australian) in more recent
years. Most of these western artists had very little influence on the Balinese until the post-World War Two period, although some accounts over-
emphasise the western presence at the expense of recognising Balinese creativity.

This groundbreaking period of creativity reached a peak in the late 1930s. A stream of famous visitors, including Charlie Chaplin and the anthropologists
Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead, encouraged the talented locals to create highly original works. During their stay in Bali in the mid-1930s, Bateson
and Mead collected over 2000 paintings, predominantly from the village of Batuan, but also from the coastal village of Sanur.[39] Among western artists,
Spies and Bonnet are often credited for the modernization of traditional Balinese paintings. From the 1950s onwards Baliese artists incorporated aspects
of perspective and anatomy from these artists. More importantly, they acted as agents of change by encouraging experimentation, and promoted
departures from tradition. The result was an explosion of individual expression that increased the rate of change in Balinese art.

Japanese art

Main articles: Japanese art, Japanese painting, Ukiyo-e, Japanese sculpture, Ryukyuan lacquerware, Japanese calligraphy, Nihonga, List of National
Treasures of Japan (paintings), and List of National Treasures of Japan (sculptures)

Four from a set of sixteen sliding room partitions (Birds and Flower of the Four Seasons) made for a 16th-century Japanese abbot. Typically for later
Japanese landscapes, the main focus is on a feature in the foreground.

Japanese art and architecture is works of art produced in Japan from the beginnings of human habitation there, sometime in the 10th millennium BC, to
the present. Japanese art covers a wide range of art styles and media, including ancient pottery, sculpture in wood and bronze, ink painting on silk and
paper, and a myriad of other types of works of art; from ancient times until the contemporary 21st century.

The art form rose to great popularity in the metropolitan culture of Edo (Tokyo) during the second half of the 17th century, originating with the single-
color works of Hishikawa Moronobu in the 1670s. At first, only India ink was used, then some prints were manually colored with a brush, but in the 18th
century Suzuki Harunobu developed the technique of polychrome printing to produce nishiki-e.

Japanese painting (絵画, Kaiga) is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese arts, encompassing a wide variety of genre and styles. As
with the history of Japanese arts in general, the history of Japanese painting is a long history of synthesis and competition between native Japanese
aesthetics and adaptation of imported ideas.

The origins of painting in Japan date well back into Japan's prehistoric period. Simple stick figures and geometric designs can be found on Jōmon period
pottery and Yayoi period (300 BC – 300 AD) dōtaku bronze bells. Mural paintings with both geometric and figurative designs have been found in
numerous tumulus from the Kofun period (300–700 AD).

Ancient Japanese sculpture was mostly derived from the idol worship in Buddhism or animistic rites of Shinto deity. In particular, sculpture among all the
arts came to be most firmly centered around Buddhism. Materials traditionally used were metal—especially bronze—and, more commonly, wood, often
lacquered, gilded, or brightly painted. By the end of the Tokugawa period, such traditional sculpture – except for miniaturized works – had largely
disappeared because of the loss of patronage by Buddhist temples and the nobility.

Ukiyo, meaning "floating world", refers to the impetuous young culture that bloomed in the urban centers of Edo (modern-day Tokyo), Osaka, and Kyoto
that were a world unto themselves. It is an ironic allusion to the homophone term "Sorrowful World" (憂き世), the earthly plane of death and rebirth from
which Buddhists sought release.

Korean art

Korean art is noted for its traditions in pottery, music, calligraphy, painting, sculpture, and other genres, often marked by the use of bold color, natural
forms, precise shape and scale, and surface decoration.

While there are clear and distinguishing differences between three independent cultures, there are significant and historical similarities and interactions
between the arts of Korea, China and Japan.

The study and appreciation of Korean art is still at a formative stage in the West. Because of Korea’s position between China and Japan, Korea was
seen as a mere conduit of Chinese culture to Japan. However, recent scholars have begun to acknowledge Korea's own unique art, culture and
important role in not only transmitting Chinese culture but assimilating it and creating a unique culture of its own. An art given birth to and developed by a
nation is its own art.

Generally, the history of Korean painting is dated to approximately 108 C.E., when it first appears as an independent form. Between that time and the
paintings and frescoes that appear on the Goryeo dynasty tombs, there has been little research. Suffice to say that til the Joseon dynasty the primary
influence was Chinese painting though done with Korean landscapes, facial features, Buddhist topics, and an emphasis on celestial observation in
keeping with the rapid development of Korean astronomy.

Throughout the history of Korean painting, there has been a constant separation of monochromatic works of black brushwork on very often mulberry
paper or silk; and the colourful folk art or min-hwa, ritual arts, tomb paintings, and festival arts which had extensive use of colour.

This distinction was often class-based: scholars, particularly in Confucian art felt that one could see colour in monochromatic paintings within the
gradations and felt that the actual use of colour coarsened the paintings, and restricted the imagination. Korean folk art, and painting of architectural
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frames was seen as brightening certain outside wood frames, and again within the tradition of Chinese architecture, and the early Buddhist influences of
profuse rich thalo and primary colours inspired by Art of India.

Contemporary art in Korea: The first example of Western-style oil painting in Korean art was in the self-portraits of Korean artist Ko Hu i-dong (1886-
1965). Only three of these works still remain today. these self-portraits impart an understanding of medium that extends well beyond the affirmation of
stylistic and cultural difference. by the early twentieth century, the decision to paint using oil and canvas in Korea had two different interpretations. One
being a sense of enlightenment due to western ideas and art styles. This enlightenment derived from an intellectual movement of the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. Ko had been painting with this method during a period of Japan's annexation of Korea. During this time many claimed his art could
have been political, however, he himself stated he was an artist and not a politician. Ko stated "While I was in Tokyo, a very curious thing happened. At
that time there were fewer than one hundred Korean students in Tokyo. All of us were drinking the new air and embarking on new studies, but there
were some who mocked my choice to study art. A close friend said that it was not right for me to study painting in such a time as this."

Korean pottery was recognized as early as 6000 BCE. This pottery was also referred to as comb-patterned pottery due to the decorative lines carved
onto the outside. early Korean societies were mainly dependent on fishing. So, they used the pottery to store fish and other things collected from the
ocean such as shellfish. Pottery had two main regional distinctions. Those from the East coast tends to have a flat base, whereas pottery on the South
coast had a round base.

Laotian art

Lao Buddhist sculptures were created in a large variety of material including gold, silver and most often bronze. Brick-and-mortar also was a medium
used for colossal images, a famous of these is the image of Phya Vat (16th century) in Vientiane, although a renovation completely altered the
appearance of the sculpture, and it no longer resembles a Lao Buddha. Wood is popular for small, votive Buddhist images that are often left in caves.
Wood is also very common for large, life-size standing images of the Buddha. The most famous two sculptures carved in semi-precious stone are the
Phra Keo (The Emerald Buddha) and the Phra Phuttha Butsavarat. The Phra Keo, which is probably of Xieng Sen (Chiang Saen) origin, is carved from a
solid block of jade. It rested in Vientiane for two hundred years before the Siamese carried it away as booty in the late 18th century. Today it serves as
the palladium of the Kingdom of Thailand, and resides at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Phra Phuttha Butsavarat, like the Phra Keo, is also
enshrined in its own chapel at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Before the Siamese seized it in the early 19th century, this crystal image was the palladium
of the Lao kingdom of Champassack.

Many beautiful Lao Buddhist sculptures are carved right into the Pak Ou caves. Near Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the
Tham Theung (upper cave) are near Luang Prabang, Laos. They are a magnificent group of caves that are only accessible by boat, about two hours
upstream from the center of Luang Prabang, and have recently become more well known and frequented by tourists.The caves are noted for their
impressive Buddhist and Lao style sculptures carved into the cave walls, and hundreds of discarded Buddhist figures laid out over the floors and wall
shelves. They were put there as their owners did not wish to destroy them, so a difficult journey is made to the caves to place their unwanted statue
there.

Nepalese art

The ancient and refined traditional culture of Kathmandu, for that matter in the whole of Nepal, is an uninterrupted and exceptional meeting of the Hindu
and Buddhist ethos practiced by its highly religious people. It has also embraced in its fold the cultural diversity provided by the other religions such as
Jainism, Islam and Christianity.

Thai art

Thai art and visual art was traditionally and primarily Buddhist and Royal Art. Sculpture was almost exclusively of Buddha images, while painting was
confined to illustration of books and decoration of buildings, primarily palaces and temples. Thai Buddha images from different periods have a number of
distinctive styles. Contemporary Thai art often combines traditional Thai elements with modern techniques.

Traditional Thai paintings showed subjects in two dimensions without perspective. The size of each element in the picture reflected its degree of
importance. The primary technique of composition is that of apportioning areas: the main elements are isolated from each other by space transformers.
This eliminated the intermediate ground, which would otherwise imply perspective. Perspective was introduced only as a result of Western influence in
the mid-19th century.

The most frequent narrative subjects for paintings were or are: the Jataka stories, episodes from the life of the Buddha, the Buddhist heavens and hells,
and scenes of daily life.

The Sukhothai period began in the 14th century in the Sukhothai kingdom. Buddha images of the Sukhothai period are elegant, with sinuous bodies and
slender, oval faces. This style emphasized the spiritual aspect of the Buddha, by omitting many small anatomical details. The effect was enhanced by
the common practice of casting images in metal rather than carving them. This period saw the introduction of the "walking Buddha" pose.

Tibetan art

Tibetan art refers to the art of Tibet and other present and former Himalayan kingdoms (Bhutan, Ladakh, Nepal, and Sikkim). Tibetan art is first and
foremost a form of sacred art, reflecting the over-riding influence of Tibetan Buddhism on these cultures. The Sand Mandala (Tib: kilkhor) is a Tibetan
Buddhist tradition which symbolises the transitory nature of things. As part of Buddhist canon, all things material are seen as transitory. A sand mandala
is an example of this, being that once it has been built and its accompanying ceremonies and viewing are finished, it is systematically destroyed.

As Mahayana Buddhism emerged as a separate school in the 4th century BC it emphasized the role of bodhisattvas, compassionate beings who forgo
their personal escape to Nirvana in order to assist others. From an early time various bodhisattvas were also subjects of statuary art. Tibetan Buddhism,
as an offspring of Mahayana Buddhism, inherited this tradition. But the additional dominating presence of the Vajrayana (or Buddhist tantra) may have
had an overriding importance in the artistic culture. A common bodhisattva depicted in Tibetan art is the deity Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara), often
portrayed as a thousand-armed saint with an eye in the middle of each hand, representing the all-seeing compassionate one who hears our requests.
This deity can also be understood as a Yidam, or 'meditation Buddha' for Vajrayana practice.
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Tibetan Buddhism contains Tantric Buddhism, also known as Vajrayana Buddhism for its common symbolism of the vajra, the diamond thunderbolt
(known in Tibetan as the dorje). Most of the typical Tibetan Buddhist art can be seen as part of the practice of tantra. Vajrayana techniques incorporate
many visualizations/imaginations during meditation, and most of the elaborate tantric art can be seen as aids to these visualizations; from
representations of meditational deities (yidams) to mandalas and all kinds of ritual implements.

In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion.

A visual aspect of Tantric Buddhism is the common representation of wrathful deities, often depicted with angry faces, circles of flame, or with the skulls
of the dead. These images represent the Protectors (Skt. dharmapala) and their fearsome bearing belies their true compassionate nature. Actually, their
wrath represents their dedication to the protection of the dharma teaching as well as to the protection of the specific tantric practices to prevent
corruption or disruption of the practice. They are most importantly used as wrathful psychological aspects that can be used to conquer the negative
attitudes of the practitioner.

Historians note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting
had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual
art. According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial
echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity.

Vietnamese art

Vietnamese art is from one of the oldest of such cultures in the Southeast Asia region. A rich artistic heritage that dates to prehistoric times and includes:
silk painting, sculpture, pottery, ceramics, woodblock prints, architecture, music, dance and theatre.

Traditional Vietnamese art is art practiced in Vietnam or by Vietnamese artists, from ancient times (including the elaborate Đông Sơn drums) to post-
Chinese domination art which was strongly influenced by Chinese Buddhist art, among other philosophies such as Taoism and Confucianism. The art of
Champa and French art also played a smaller role later on.

The Chinese influence on Vietnamese art extends into Vietnamese pottery and ceramics, calligraphy, and traditional architecture. Currently, Vietnamese
lacquer paintings have proven to be quite popular.

The Nguyễn dynasty, the last ruling dynasty of Vietnam (c. 1802–1945), saw a renewed interest in ceramics and porcelain art. Imperial courts across
Asia imported Vietnamese ceramics.

Despite how highly developed the performing arts (such as imperial court music and dance) became during the Nguyễn dynasty, some view other fields
of arts as beginning to decline during the latter part of the Nguyễn dynasty.

Beginning in the 19th century, modern art and French artistic influences spread into Vietnam. In the early 20th century, the École Supérieure des Beaux
Arts de l’Indochine (Indochina College of Arts) was founded to teach European methods and exercised influence mostly in the larger cities, such as
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Travel restrictions imposed on the Vietnamese during France's 80-year rule of Vietnam and the long period of war for national independence meant that
very few Vietnamese artists were able to train or work outside of Vietnam.[45] A small number of artists from well-to-do backgrounds had the opportunity
to go to France and make their careers there for the most part.[45] Examples include Le Thi Luu, Le Pho, Mai Trung Thu, Le Van De, Le Ba Dang and
Pham Tang.[45]

Modern Vietnamese artists began to utilize French techniques with many traditional mediums such as silk, lacquer, etc., thus creating a unique blend of
eastern and western elements.

Vietnamese calligraphy

Calligraphy has had a long history in Vietnam, previously using Chinese characters along with chữ nôm. However, most modern Vietnamese calligraphy
instead uses the Roman-character based Quốc Ngữ, which has proven to be very popular.

In the past, with literacy in the old character-based writing systems of Vietnam being restricted to scholars and elites, calligraphy nevertheless still played
an important part in Vietnamese life. On special occasions such as the Lunar New Year, people would go to the village teacher or scholar to make them
a calligraphy hanging (often poetry, folk sayings or even single words). People who could not read or write also often commissioned scholars to write
prayers which they would burn at temple shrines

HILIPPINE ART

Throughout Philippine history,spanning from the precolonial period to the contemporary periods, different art forms have emerged in the Philippine
art scene. Before the colonizers came to the Philippines, ethnic minorities have used art not only for daily activities but also for religous rituals and
practices. Most art forms used by ethic communities include pottery, weaving , carving, and the use of metalwork and jewelry.

Pottery is said to be one of the earlist art forms used by the early Filipino people. One of the most prominent artifacts related to pottery is the
Manunggal Jar found in Palawan. This jar is a representation of the early Filipinos’ religous beliefs and practices. It serves as a burial jar, which depicts
two men rowing a boat. This reflects their belief in afterlife-the crossing of the body of water is a transition from life here on earth unto the next.
Eventually, pottery produced items that are of practical value for the early Filipinos, such as pots for cooking and large vases for storing. Weaving was
also one of the earliest forms of art expressions in the Philippines. One of the most popular artisisans of weaving is the people from the Cordilleras. They
are known for their colorful woven cloth, which is also known for their woven abaca cloth called t’nalak. They use this particular cloth to make ornaments,
which also represent their beliefs through sysmbols. One example is the image of the frog, which is their representation for fertility. Woodcarvings from
Palawan also depict animals like birds, which are representations of their religous beliefs. According to local stories, the birds serve as the messengers
of the people to the heavens and vise versa. In Mindanao, the Tausug and Maranao people are known for their okir, which are designs applied to their
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woodcarvings. Their common subjects include the sarimanok, naga and the pako rabong. Each subject is a representation for a certain theme or motif
but generally, these symbols depict their belief’s as a people. The sarimanok is a stylized design of a mythical bird either standing on a fish holding a
piece of fish on its beak. The story of the sarimanok was a central figure to a number of legends. One narrative tells the origin of the word sarimanok. A
ssultan of Lanao once threw a party for his daughter named Sari who was beautiful but seemed unhappy with her situation. On the day of her party, a
rooster crashed and the princess ran off with the rooster. She was never found. In memory of Sari, the sultan carved a rooster. The Sultan’s act paved
the way for the term sarimanok. Initially, jewelry as ornaments integrated in their clothing. The naga formsan S-shape, depicting an elaborate figure of a
mythical dragon or serpent. The numerous curved lines serving as detail for the figure depicts the scales. The fern gracefully stems and tapers upward.
The sarimanok and naga are usually used as ornamental designs for the houses of the sultans.

When the Spaniards discovered the Philippines during the sixteenth century, they introduced their religion to the local people. Aside from acquiring
resourcces, they had a goal to replace the existing indiggenous cultural practices and beliefs of the early Filipinos. Art was used by the Spaniardds to
propagate their Christian faith while at the same time, subtly establishing their foothold in the century. The Church, just like in Western Europe at one
point, became the sole patron of the arts. This can be evidently seen through the construction of churches. These churches culture and ideals in the
Philippine setting. Eing under colonial rule, it is not surpricing for Filipinos to express their indignation and desire for libeeration. Art became one of the
avenues for Filipino nationalism and stood against the colorizers would be juan Luna’s “Spoliarium.” This large-scale academic painting garnered a gold
medal and signified that the reformists could come at par with their European counterparts. At the same time, Luna’s win signaled the start of the
Filipino’s call for equality.

When the Philippines was liberated from the Spanish rule, the Americans took over to establish a colonial government. They also propagated their
culture and beliefs through the implementation of public school systems. Art had a new role in advertising American-controlled markets. After World War
II, the Philippines saw itself as an independent state transitioning into the formation of its national identity. Artists focused on modern takes when it
comes to content, form, and subject matter. In addition, a debateemerged on weather art should be done as “ proletarian art” or “ art for art’s sake.” As
modern paintings started to emergeg, a triumvirate of artists was formed- Carlos Francisco, Galo B. Ocampo, and Edades.

The 1960s proved to be a period of modernism and dynamism with a lot of styles, techniques,a nd methods emerging. Most artworks were
reflections of the political, social, and economic situation of the Philippines during the Marcos administration. It was a period wherein people embodied
and advocated for nationalist ideals. This is the reason why there was a paradism shift of objects in the artworks. Beautiful and idealistic imagery was
replaced with aggressive undertones. The works were reflections of the general feel of the people based on the political situation during that time. When
former President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, social realism became the norm. Most artwork were forms of protest against the government’s
suppression of freedom of speech and expression. In addition, some of the works reflected issues like economic problems, land ferformes, gender
rights, worker’s right, and cultural minirities plaguing the Filipino people brought about by the Martial Law. Eventually, photography has envolved into an
art form, which highlights various artistic expressions evident in variety of events, scenes, and activities.

Filipino identity was born at the same time as its creation, Mainly from its Pre-Colonial/Pre-Philippines Cultures that merged with the influenced of the
Colonizers and Chinese traders that melted and evolved to its own unique Classical Filipino Identity. Before the Philippines was born, It was a divided
set of nations, islands and tribes being ruled by their own specific Social Kings, Chieftains, Lakans, Datus, Rajahs and Sultans. Every nation has its own
identity and some are even part of a larger Empire outside of the modern day map of what is now the Philippines, for example; Manila was once part of
the Bruneian Empire. Another example is many parts of the modern day Mindanao is theorized to be part of the Majapahit Empire with its capital being
located in East Java in the modern day Indonesia. The Advent of the Colonial arrival to the islands started The modern day Philippines, as it was during
that time that what is now a united islands of today now known as the Philippines was created. The Chinese influenced has been felt throughout
Southeast Asia through trade, even before the Colonization of the region specifically Ming dynasty and other earlier dynasties as early as the 9th
century. But it was during the Spanish colonization that modern day Chinese Filipino signature-mark on what is now the Philippines was developed.
These cultures the melted from pre-colonial internal and external influence is very evident in the Pre-modern arts and tradition of the Philippines.
Paintings of José Honorato Lozano has clear indication of East and West influence.

Kut-kut art is another technique of combining ancient Oriental and European art process. It is considered a lost art and highly collectible art form. Very
few known art pieces existed today. The technique was practiced by the indigenous people of Samar Island between early 1600 and late 1800 A.D. Kut-
kut is an exotic Philippine art form based on early century techniques—sgraffito, encaustic and layering. The merging of these ancient styles produces a
unique artwork characterized by delicate swirling interwoven lines, multi-layered texture and an illusion of three-dimensional space. The Filipino
signature is also very evident in architecture. One famous examples of this is how the Philippines intentionally adapted the Baroque style of architecture
which is famous in Europe at that time to the earthquake-prone environment of the Philippines with ornamentation portraying Philippine culture,
environment and everyday life incorporating local motifs, for example; using things such as Banana leaves which is very common in the Philippines. This
became known as the Filipino Baroque with the Earthquake Baroque being its famous variant that is present in the famous churches of the Philippines.
Some Pre-Colonial art has made its way to the modern Filipino society especially in the Mindanao and other uncolonized parts of the Philippines one
example of this is the Sarimanok symbolism on art.

Modern Sculptures.

Of all the new art forms introduced, the Filipinos took to sculpture from the Spanish instantly. The carving of anito was transformed into sculpture of the
saints. These santos were used primarily for the church altars and retablos. It also replaced the anitos in the altars of the natives homes. The earliest
known sculptor in the Philippines is the 17th century sacristan, sculptor and silversmith Juan de los Santos (ca. 1590 ca. 1660) of San Pablo, Laguna. A
few of his extant works may be found at the San Agustin Convent museum. Filipino sculptors came to be known in the middle of the 19th century.
Classical Philippine sculpture reached its peak in the works of Guillermo Tolentino (1890-1976). His best known masterpiece is the Bonifacio Monument
, which is a group sculpture composed of numerous figures massed around a central obelisk. The principal figure is Andres Bonifacio, leader of the
revolution against Spain in 1896. Napoleon Abueva (born 1930), one of Tolentino's pupils, is one of the pioneering modernists in sculpture. He used
various media. Abueva's most famous work is Fredesvinda, which was included in the First ASEAN Sculpture Symposium held in Fort Canning Hill,
Singapore, from March 27 to April 26, 1981shows the vitality of primitive forms.

Architecture

Ancient Filipinos lived in big settlements along sheltered bays, coastal areas, and mouths of rivers. Interior settlements were established at the
headwaters and banks of rivers and their tributaries. The houses were usually constructed side by side along the river banks or seashores. Philippine
architecture responds to the climate. Although there are many variations, generally the roof of the first Philippine houses, nipa huts, or bahay kubo, were
high pitched and usually open gabled to allow for ventilation. The steeply sloping pitch also protected from the wind and rain in the typhoon season.
These houses were elevated three to four meters of the ground, supported by wood or bamboo. The structure was usually four-walled with tukod
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windows. The Bagobos and Kalingas people used this type of house for protection from enemies and wild animals on the ground. In the southern islands
of the Philippines archipelago, the Moros of Mindanao had distinct architecture of their own. It was brought with them along with the Muslim religion.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

FAMOUS PHILIPPINE ARTIST AND COMPOSERS

Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo (1855-1913)

Hidalgo won a silver medal for his entry in large canvas, Christian Virgins Exposed to the Populace (Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho) at
the Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts. Shortly after the 1984 Madrid Exposition, he set up residence in Paris to serve a quieter life. In this place, he painted
Charon’s Boat and Oedipus and Antigone. His Sunrise (1985) revealed his ingenuity in painting landscape and seascapes.

The Artist’s Mother (1888) was one of the two potraits he did for his mother in Paris. Hidalgo returned to Manila in 1912 for a visit but returned to Paris
despite the pleas of his ailing mother.

Juan Luna (1857-1899)

After he won a gold medal in the 1984 Madrid Exposition, Juan Luna moved to Paris and stayed in an apartment close to the Hidalgo’s. Shortly before
his marriage to Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavera he visited The Hague and the seacost of Scheveningen. In this place, he wrote two masterpieces. The
Dream of Love, a sensuous portrait of his sleeping wife Paz, whom he suspected of infidelity and shot to death in a jealous rage in 1872, and the
celebrated Tampuhan, which he painted on his return to the Philippines.

The lady with guitar was painted shortly after he was granted pardon by Alfonso XIII for his involvement in the Philippine Revolution. Upon his return to
the Philippines 1894, after an absence of 17 years, he painted Houses by a Narrow Road, one of the several views of Marikina. He died in Hong Kong at
the of 41.

Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972)

Fernando Amorsolo was a National Artist Awardee. In his golden years (1920-1945), he reaped various honors. He went to Madrid in 1917 to study
museum classics after receiving a scholarship grant from a rich businessman named Enriquez Zobel. His first portrait upon return to Manila was that of
his wife salud. He exhibited 40 of his genres and landscape at the Art Center of New York World’s Fair where he was acclaimed the best popular vote.
Armorsolo was also appointed Director of the School of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines. He also did splendid illustration work in Graphics,
Liwayway, Sunday Tribune, Tagalog novels such as Madaling Araw and Parusa ng Bayan, and posters and brochures. He painted acclaimed
masterpieces like The Blind Man, The Burning of Manila, Antipolo, and Dalagang Bukid, among others.

Vicente Manansala (1910-1981)

Vicente Manansala was one of the most popular progressive artists in the county. He was former student of Cubist Ferdinand Leger and was respected
by his peers because of the intellectual underpinnings of his art. Before his death, he painted Give Me This Diary, a glimpse of his kind of cubism, in
which some sides of objects are sharply cut into curved or angular form to catch the light vibrantly. He was given a posthumous recognition as a National
Artist 1982.

Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969)

Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco was one of the best mural artist the country was ever had. In his paintings, he featured Filipinos living in provincial towns
and barrios. He showed them working on the field. Going about their daily chores, eating, relaxing, worshipping, and enjoying fiestas. He also painted
vital events in Philippine History. The mural paintings he did were not only on Christian lowlanders but on Muslims and other cultural communities as
well.

The turning point of Botong;s painting career was winning the first prize at the first competition of the Art Association of the Philippines in 1948 for his
entry Kaingin. Filipino Struggle Through History, a mural gracing the walls of Manila City Hall, was one of his major works.

He stayed permanently in Angono where he became the first major regional artist. In Angono, he refined the style he had made his own, his personal
version of Post-Impressionism grafted into the Philippine context.

Mauro Malang Santos (1928)

Maura Malang Santos was an illustrator-cartoonist for the Manila Chronicle and creator of comic strip, Kosme the Cop (Retired) and Chain Gang Charlie.
In the 1960’s, he emerged as a serious artist with a knack in abstract painting. His illustration of Ang Kiukok formed the basis of a style in its
enumeration of images, range of warm colors, and evocation of joyous parochialism.

Jose Joya (1931-1995)

Jose Jaya graduated as a Magna Cum Laude at the University of the Philippines in 1953. He was also a recipient of the fullbright Scholarship at the
Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1957. By the late 1950s, he had immerses himself on new idioms of contemporary art through the print media and regular
exhibitions at the Philippine Art Gallery.

As his style evolved, he waslater identified as a serious artist. After his return from the Venice Biennale, Joya painted a few vibrant works with dramatic
contrast of color and dynamic lines. In the 1960s, he started to apply paint more thinly on canvas; the form grew increasingly geometric with circles as
the main motifs.
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Cadmium Red Square and Binhi, both created in 1971, represented Joya’s shift to decorative painting-more dramatic in style and the visual tensions
visible.

Famous Filipino Composers

Col. Antonio Buenaventura (1904-1996)

Col. Antonio Buenaventura obtained a Teacher’s Diploma in Composition and Coducting from the University of the Philippines and later on became a
faculty member of the UP Conservatory of Music.

In 1937, he was commissioned into the military service and later became music instructor and band conductor of the PMA in Baguio City. He later on
reorganized the world famous Philippine Constabulary Band and appointed as assistant conductor of Manila Symphony Orchestra and was a member of
the UP President’s Committee on Folk Songs and Dances.

Col. Buenaventura composed short piano pieces, hymns and songs, pieces, and theater music.

Lucrecia R. Kasilag (1917-2008)

Lucrecia R. Kasilag obtained a Music Teacher’s Diploma major in Piano from St. Scholastica’s University in 1949. She was scholarship grantee of the
Fullbright Foundation at the Eastman School of Music degree major in theory and minor in composition. She later became the administrator of the
Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Felipe Padilla (1912-1992)

Felipe Padilla de Leon was a composer, conductor and a former student of Col. Buenaventura at the UP Conservatory of Music. After Graduation in
1939, he was appointed assistant instructor at the UP Department of Science and Composition where he taught history and music subjects.

He became a technical assistant on cultural affairs in the Office of the President of the Philippines. He was President of the Filipino Society of
composers, Authors, and Publishers; President of the Pambansang Samahan ng mga Banda sa Pilipinas and the Diwa ng Nuweba Esiha; trustee of the
Music Promotion Foundation of the Philippines; and director of the SONGFEST Philippines and the Felin Institute of the Philippines.

Antonio Molina (1894- 1980)

Antonio Molina, born in 1894, was a faculty member of the UP Conservatory of Music where he taught harmony, compositions, and music history as well
as violoncello. He was a conductor in the concert stage of various schools, church, choirs, orchestra, bands, and rondallas. He composed the zarzuela
Ate Maria and hatinggabi. Molina was member of the UP President’s Committee on Filipino Folksongs and Dances and Secretary of the Conservatory of
Music.

Aside from a being soloist and composer, he also received honors as a conductor of the Monserrat Philharmonic Band, the Yellow Taxi Orchestra, and
Yellow Taxi Rondalla and the operas Madame Butterfly, La Giaconda, La Fuerza del Destino, and Cavalleria Rusticana.

Lucio D. San Pedro (1912-2002)

Lucio D. San Pedro was born in 1913. He married Gertudes Diaz with whom he had 5 children. During his graduation in Grade VII, he played the Poet
and Peasant Overture on the banjo. He started composing songs in college and conducted the UP ROTC Band. He was assistant conductor and later,
conductor and later, conductor of the Musical Philippines Philharmonic Orchestra and a musical presented at the Metropolitan Theatre. He won many
prizes for his works. He was connected with major conservatories in the country and wrote sacred and secular vocal music, overtures, tones, poems,
symphonic poems, and quartets.

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