EVOLUTION OF PHILIPPINE ARTS

Pre-Colonial Era
The Pre-Colonial Period is when our indigenous ancestors inhabited the Philippines
and the time before the coming of our first colonizers. Arts in this time were for ritual
purposes or everyday use only. As local communities were established, art starts to go
beyond mere craft, i.e., stone weapons or jewelry but starts to have decorative elements,
meaning, and context.
Literature – It can be in written and oral form. Cave drawings and writings are the earliest
forms of literature, and rituals, chants, and storytelling are the earliest forms of oral literature.
Visual Arts – Sculpture, paintings, and pottery were the widely known forms of visual arts in
the Pre-Colonial Period, such as the tattoos of the pintados in Panay, the Bul-ul that is the
wooden sculpture of the rice God of Ifugaos, and the Manunggul burial jar that was found in
Palawan.
Architecture – Earliest Filipinos are known to be dwelling in caves.
Music – They used wind instruments.
Dance – They imitate the movements of animals and nature.

Islamic Era
Characterized by geometric designs and patterns eliciting focus from believers.
Painting – Okkir uses geometric and floral artwork. One popular motif of this art form is the
use of imagery of a dragon or serpent and calligraphy.
Sculpture – Sarimanok and Buraq.
Architecture – Mosques.
Spanish Era
In the year 1521, the Philippines colonized by the Spaniards and introduced the
Catholic religion. The concept of Catholicism was shown through images and stories of
Christ's life. The first Filipino who painted his own face was Damian Gabol Domingo also
known as "Father of Filipino Painting."
Painting - Religious Portraiture: Langit, Lupa at Impierno a three-level painting which shows
the Holy Trinity, Mary the mother of Christ, saints, the Seven Blessed Sacraments, and a
macabre depiction of Hell.
Sculpture - Religious figures and carvings: the sculpture of the saints these were used
primarily for the church altars and retablos. Carved images of saints, floral decorations, or
leaf decors.
Architecture - Church, plaza, civic buildings, fortress, road, and lighthouse construction.
American Era
After Spanish colonization, Americans came to invade the Philippines. Americans
changed the system of government and education of the country.
Painting - Landscape, portrait, still life example is the work of Fabian de la Rosa “Women
working in a rice field.”
Sculpture - Freestanding, relief, a public example is the work of Guillermo Tolentino the
“Bonifacio Monument” in Caloocan
Architecture - City planning, public works, structures, and infrastructures example is the
Malacañang Palace.
Japanese Era
When the Japanese came, Filipinos suffered. The people of the country were terrified
because of the total control of government and the educational system. Freedom amongst
Filipinos was gone, and they were scared to express their own opinions.
Painting - Wartime scenes, propaganda.
Sculpture - Indigeniztizing and orientalizing works example is the statue bronze artwork
dubbed Filipino Comfort Women.
Architecture - Public works example of this is the Church of the Risen Lord located in the
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.
Modern Period
At the end of World War II, modern art in the Philippines began where various artists
used their national identity as the common theme of different art forms in which every artist
manifest the story of the country through art.
Painting – Incipient Triumvirate 13 moderns, abstract, Surreal, Expressionist example is the
planting rice by Fernando Amorsolo.
Sculpture – Abstract Expressionism example is the work of Julie Lluch “Picasso and Me”.
Architecture – International Industrializing, an electric example is the Philippine International
Convention Center made by architect Leandro Locsin.
Contemporary Period
Contemporary art is the work of artists who are living in the 21st century.
Contemporary art mirrors contemporary culture and society, offering the general audiences a
rich resource through which to consider current ideas and rethink the familiar. The work of
contemporary artists is a dynamic combination of materials, methods, concepts, and subjects
that challenges traditional boundaries and defies easy definition.
Painting - Collaborative, Hyper-realist, new painting example is The Fisherman by Ang
Kiukok.
Sculpture - Junk scrap, neo-indigenous, site-specific, performance art, a hybrid example is the
People Power Monument made by Eduardo Castrillo.
Architecture - Real estate, safe housing, condominiums, subdivisions, villages, malls,
commercial/business/convention buildings example is the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay
city designed by the Miami-based architectural firm Arquitectonica.
 7 ELEMENTS OF ART
LINES – Lines are the marks moving in a space between two points. Artists use many
different types of lines like: Including, actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and
contour lines. Each line has a different meaning, curve, length, thickness, and flexibility.

COLORS – Color is the spectrum of light broken down when hitting a surface and reflected
into the eye. Color has various properties like ‘hue’ which has a basic range of colors like red
and blue, ‘intensity’ which is the strength of a color, ‘value’ which is the lightness and
darkness of the color, and ‘temperature’ which is the warmness or coolness which the viewer
feels when looking at the color.

FORMS – A form is a three-dimensional object that can be held and walked around. A form
can be objects like cylinders, spheres, or even hard-edged objects like cubes.

SHAPES – A shape is a two-dimensional design encased by lines to signify its height and
width. Shapes can have different colors to make it seem three-dimensional. There are
different types of shapes like circles, triangles, and squares.
SPACE – Space is the distance between shapes and objects. Positive space refers to the areas
of the work with a subject. Negative space is the space without a subject. Artists use spacing
to create different effects.

TEXTURE – Texture is usually used to describe the surface quality. Textures can be ‘real’
or ‘implied’. Real surface quality is mainly seen through three-dimensional works, like
sculptures. Implied surface quality describes how the eye perceives the texture based on
visual cue.

VALUE – Value refers to the degree of perceivable lightness of tones within an image. The
difference in values is called Contrast. It references the lightest and darkest tones with grey
variants in between a work of art.
 EVOLUTION OF PHILIPPINE ARTS
Pre-Colonial Era
The Pre-Colonial Period is when our indigenous ancestors inhabited the
Philippines and the time before the coming of our first colonizers. Arts in this time
were for ritual purposes or everyday use only. As local communities were established,
art starts to go beyond mere craft, i.e., stone weapons or jewelry but starts to have
decorative elements, meaning, and context.
Literature – It can be in written and oral form. Cave drawings and writings are the
earliest forms of literature, and rituals, chants, and storytelling are the earliest forms of
oral literature.
Visual Arts – Sculpture, paintings, and pottery were the widely known forms of visual
arts in the Pre-Colonial Period, such as the tattoos of the pintados in Panay, the Bul-ul
that is the wooden sculpture of the rice God of Ifugaos, and the Manunggul burial jar
that was found in Palawan.
Architecture – Earliest Filipinos are known to be dwelling in caves.
Music – They used wind instruments.
Dance – They imitate the movements of animals and nature.
Islamic Era
In the 13th century, traders and missionaries introduced Islam region in the
Philippines, specifically, Sayyid Abubakar of Arabia. Islamic art meshed with ethnic
culture and produced a Filipino Muslim art that reflects the ethnic background and
Islamic identity.
Literature – Quran reding was introduced, and the Arabic language and writing were
taught.
Architecture – Early mosques were built made of light materials such as wood,
bamboo, and cogon grass.
Sculpture – The traditional art form of this era was known as Ukkil/Okki. It uses
geometric and floral artwork. One popular motif of this art form is the use of imagery
of a dragon or serpent.
Spanish Era
When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in 1521, the colonizers used art as a tool
to propagate the Catholic faith through beautiful images. With communication as a
problem, the friars used images to explain the concept behind Catholicism and to tell
the stories of Christ’s life and passion.
Literature – Baybayin from Mangyans of Mindoro was one of the only preserved
traditional writings of the Filipinos, and the Doctrina Christiana (the teachings of
Christianity) was introduced by the Spaniards.
Visual Arts – Most of the artworks express a hidden desire for rebellion against Spain,
such as the Basi Revolt that is a series of 14 paintings by Esteban Villanueva; the
Carta Hydrograpica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas that is the first scientific
map of the Philippines Francisco Suarez and Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay; the Spolarium
of Juan Luna that won as the Gold Medalist in Spain; and the Vigenes Christianas
expuestas al Populacho of Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo that won as a Silver Medalist in
Madrid, Spain.
Architecture – Plaza Complex was introduced; churches were built in cruciform
following the shape of the Latin Cross; Churches are baroque in design was
incorporated; and houses are known to be Bahay na Bato/Bahay na Tisa.
Sculpture – Santos are made of ivory or wood; relleves are known to be the facade of
churches; and the Carroza or the plateria that is a pedestal used in religious Catholic
procession where an image is loaded.
Music and Dance – Pasyon or Pabasa that narrates about the passion of Christ is
introduced in 1742; the kundiman Filipino love song flourish; and the Opening of the
Suez Canal - Galleon Trade was performed with the dances Pandanggo, tango, polka,
dansa, rigodon, habanera, and jota.
Theatre – Zarzuela of Sarsuela was developed. It is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre
that alternates spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular
songs, as well as dance. Another is the popularly known Easter pageant, Senakulo, or
the Passion Play that is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ:
his trial, suffering, and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian
denominations, particularly in the Catholic tradition. Lastly, the Komedya that was
created by Spanish priests in 1637. It is a play written to dramatize the recent capture
by a Christian Filipino army of an Islamic stronghold. It has different versions which
are the Moro-moro of the Tagalogs and the Araguio or Arakyo of Nueva Ecija.
American Era
The American Colonial Period was classical in nature, and the artworks are in
neo-classical and modern form. One of their greatest contributions to the Philippines
is the educational system. context.
Architecture – All architectural designs are classical in nature, including art deco
design on buildings and houses. City planning was a huge step in the development of
Manila, where major buildings are Neo-Classical in designs the same designs used in
Washington DC. During this time, Daniel Burnham commissioned to design Manila
and Baguio, while William Parsons implemented the Burnham plans.
Theatre – Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at
the end of the 1 9th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without
psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic
composition or light poetry, interspersed with songs or ballets. Vaudeville was
popular in the Philippines during the American period up to the Japanese occupation.
Visual Arts – Fernando Amorsolo became famous during the American Period
because of his paintings that depict Filipino culture and Guillermo Tolentino with his
famous sculptures, the UP Oblation (1935) and the Bonifacio Monument (1933).
Japanese Era
The arrival of the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships, and suffering
among the Filipinos. The Filipino way of life was greatly affected during the Japanese
period. The Filipinos lost their freedom of speech and expression. The development of
art was also stopped resulting in being the dark period of Philippine history. It is also
during this period where modern art is slowly penetrating the art world. Most of the
artworks depict the sentiments of artists during the war. Modern artists emerged, such
as Victorio Edades together with Carlos "Botong" Francisco and Galo Hernandes who
were considered as the "'Triumvirates" that pioneered modern arts in the country.
Modern Period
At the end of World War II, modern art in the Philippines began where various
artists used their national identity as the common theme of different art forms in which
every artist manifest the story of the country through art.
Painting – Incipient Triumvirate 13 moderns, abstract, Surreal, Expressionist example
is the planting rice by Fernando Amorsolo.
Sculpture – Abstract Expressionism example is the work of Julie Lluch “Picasso and
Me”.
Architecture – International Industrializing, an electric example is the Philippine
International Convention Center made by architect Leandro Locsin.
Contemporary Period
Contemporary art mirrors contemporary culture and society, offering the
general audiences’ rich resources to consider current ideas and rethink the familiar.
The work of contemporary artists is a dynamic combination of materials, methods,
concepts, and subjects that challenges traditional boundaries and defies easy
definition. Diverse and eclectic, contemporary art is distinguished by the very lack of
a uniform organizing principle, ideology, or -ism. In this time, culture and art became
highlighted during the Marcos regime when Imelda Marcos thought of having a home
for the arts, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines was built.
 7 ELEMENTS OF ART
LINES – Line is the basic element of art. It is the foundation, and arguably the
most important element of art. A line is more than just a mark drawn or painted
from point A to point B. A line creates a boundary or defines a form, space or
shape.

COLORS – Colors are a big part of any design and one of the basic
components of a painting. The colors you use should have a purpose and they
should be appropriate for the audience that you are designing for.

FORMS – Form is the way in which something has been shaped or molded.
The form can be organic or geometric. Form is the shape, structure, or
configuration of an object. A form is a three-dimensional object that has length
and width as well as depth.

SHAPES – A shape is a two-dimensional object with length and width but no

depth. The shape may be simple or complex, regular or irregular. Shapes are
created by a combination of lines.
 SPACE – Space is the area or volume around and between things. Space can
be empty or full. It can also be defined as the distance between things. The use
of space in art is important to show visual interest, depth, and distance and
create contrast between elements in a painting.

TEXTURE – Texture is what we see when we look at an object closely; it

includes things like smoothness or roughness on the surface of an object.
Texture is a visual quality that gives the impression of surface roughness, or of
something tactile.

VALUE – Value is the degree of lightness or darkness in colors. It is the

lightness or darkness of a color in relation to its own brightness, not in relation
to other colors.