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The islands' pre-colonial past where indigenous communities engaged in healthy trade with both local and international cultures and economies within the region, paved the way for a long colonial period. This early harmonious economic relationship led to an explored dimension of arts—depicting local life, culture, and eventually, identity—that thrived during the earliest settlements.
Piece by Gene Roselyn C. Angeles of
HIST 1 - G (2024) UP Baguio
“Colorless Tomorrow” notably put emphasis on inclusivity and a focus on intrinsic value and communal harmony, rather than the divisions based on race or ethnicity that were introduced by our colonizers. Our pre-colonial past embraced a worldview that transcended these barriers, putting immense significance on what individuals and cultures could contribute to their collective lives. This fosters a society rich in diversity, cooperation, and respect for the natural world that looked after our first settlers.
This piece steps forward in an effort to hold a high estimation of our earliest culture that has been almost completely faded by our colonial past. Thus, it strives to unblind us from the colors of the West to fairly cognize the beauty and essence of our own.
Art by Gene Roselyn C. Angeles of
HIST 1 - G (2024) UP Baguio
"Archives"
"Archives"
Heavily inspired by ancient jars, incorporating animistic beliefs in carving lines and shapes. This pottery art entitled "Archives", encompasses patterns resembling the four (4) classical elements: earth, water, air, and fire. With an evident soil crack pattern on the jar’s body, it expresses the critical importance of the earth to the early settlers of the Philippines. The lines, adapted from the breeze of air, layers of fire, and tides of the water, carved in the jar cover directly connect to the dominance of the animistic belief system of the pre-colonial period.
“Archives” does not simply refer to the significance of these classical elements to Indigenous art, but also is a step forward to fuel the idea of how these jars store culture, identity, and heritage that is crucial in identity formation.
"The Marketplace"
"The Marketplace"
“The Marketplace” attempts to encapsulate the period when the idea of nationalism had yet to sail on the waters of the pre-colonial Philippines, which was viewed as an economic center rather than a political nation. This visual art utilizes the image of a trading setting by the shore somewhere in the Philippines; influenced by Capistrano-Baker’s study on the early settlements in Cebu, Philippines. It highlights the significance of local and international economic ties where the concept of identity could have emerged. With exposure to different races and cultures (eventually Spanish and American intruders), identifying oneself was inescapable to differentiate local members of the community from another.
Capistrano-Baker, F. (2022). Retrieving the Pre-colonial Past. In Intertwined: Transpacific, Transcultural Philippines (pp. 95–100). Ayala Foundation Inc. https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7M2ZEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA95&dq=pre-colonial+philippines+art&ots=mmj69mx3RC&sig=byxJEo0_Vy3ldSDNv73lduDgcj0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=pre-colonial%20philippines%20art&f=false
Art by Gene Roselyn C. Angeles of
HIST 1 - G (2024) UP Baguio
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