ARTe ni de Amor

‘Sining Saysay’: First of its kind exhibit of murals paints a thousand stories on Philippine history

The assembly of 30 colorful large-sized paintings in one massive space alone grants this five-year endeavor its own place in local art history.

Sining Saysay: Philippine History in Art, a gathering of murals painted by 28 of the country’s distinguished artists, makes it the only collection of its kind anywhere in the world. The exhibit opened this month at the Gateway Gallery on the fifth floor of Gateway Tower at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City. The exhibit ends in 2017.

The minute one steps inside its venue, there is an immediate rush of pride and excitement as one is confronted with such a comprehensive perspective of vibrantly painted images—each one an homage to the courage, patriotism, faith, and indomitable spirit of the Filipino people.

It’s both a tribute of the Araneta family to the arts as Araneta Center celebrates its 60 years, and a long-time project of the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) together with the University of the Philippines (UP).

In Filipino, “sining” means “art’ and “saysay” means “story.” For the project, the participating artists, all graduates of UP Fine Arts, were asked to depict their visual narrative of select periods of Philippine history in oil and acrylic on a grand 6 ft. by 12 ft. canvas.

The creative process was intensive as it took months of discussions, readings, and research. To complete the picture, the project organizers also tapped the expertise of historians Dr. Serafin Quiazon and Prof. Ma. Luisa Camagay whom the artists can consult during the course of their work.

In one mural, Pablo Baens Santos—who was at the forefront of the social realist movement during Martial Law—utilizes the iconic headline news of the declaration of Martial rule and merges it with riveting images of torture, military brutality, and mass rallies, along with the era’s key personalities.

Besides Baens Santos’ dramatic depiction of the era in Martial Law in the Philippines, other historical periods represented in the exhibition are Pre-Hispanic Philippines by Randy T. Solon; American Colonial Period in Filipinos Experiencing Invasion by National Artist BenCab; EDSA ‘s People Power Revolution in Filipinos Unite to End Martial Law by Angel C. Cacnio; and the Arroyo and Aquino administrations in Restoration of Democracy Continues by Grandier Gil. C. Bella, to name a few.

Special topics are also depicted in Jun Yee’s The Angono Petroglyphs; Simkin de Pio’s Austronesian Roots of the Filipino; Gigi Alfonso’s Women in the Philippine Revolution; Leonilo Doloricon’s The History of Labor in the Philippines; and Philippine Festivals by Romeo S.A. Carlos.

Though based heavily on research, the collaboration also left enough room for the artists to make their statements in their works. In Jun Yee’s mural for instance, the artist—one of the leading installation artist in Asia—dutifully researched on the petroglyphs found in the caves of Rizal and focused on some of its 127 human and animal figures dating back to 3000 BC.

At the same time, he also painted his shadow on the mural to signify Yee collaborating with the person or group behind the oldest art work found in the Philippines.

Prof. Grace Javier Alfonso, who is also a visual artist and head of the UP Project Team shared that the project is a breakthrough in many aspects, including finding a gallery where the project has been launched, “Finding a space that can accommodate the linearity and non-linearity of telling the story of our nation has been challenge. Here, finally, is a space where people can come and make this exhibit a springboard for conversation.”

Another challenge, she said, is gathering artists of such a magnitude to participate in the project that took almost five years in the making. (Just imagine the various temperaments and work process of each artist that the team had to put into consideration.)

Prof. Alfonso said, “The willingness to collaborate and discuss history and styles, how to attack the paintings, identify the particular milestones in history, and how to integrate the works that will be part of a narrative has been a challenge that required constant engagements in conversations.

“And it’s that same engagement in discussions that we want the viewers to experience and go through when they view the exhibit. That’s our advocacy in this project, kailang pag-usapan ang kasaysayan. (history should be talked about).”

Living exhibit Alfonso calls the show a “living exhibit,” adding that there may be other murals that could be added to the exhibit, “visually narrating milestones and discursive issues in our nation’s history.”

Alfredo E. Pascual, UP President, said Sining Saysay is apt with the premier university’s mandate of performing its distinct leadership in pursuing higher education and development, “As the national university of the country and under RA9500, under the new UP Charter, we have been tasked with the responsibility of setting academic standards and introducing innovations in various disciplines including culture and the arts.  This exhibit is one such innovation. It’s a good way to teach young people or visitors from other countries about Philippine history in a very colorful and interesting way.”

While two years may still be many months away, Pascual shared that after the exhibit at Gateway Mall, there are plans to bring the murals to their “home in UP.” Possibly, he added, at the Main Library building where one of its wings will be converted into a gallery.