‘A long time coming’: Sining Filipina makes herstory
If you’ve ever wondered how Filipino women view their power, Sining Filipina may have just provided a keyhole through which to get a glimpse of that.
A uniform, an embrace; with company or alone; through joy and through pain; from generations past to generations yet to come; in color and light in the darkness.
The 72 paintings from the finalists of the first-ever all-female art competition in the Philippines made herstory as they drew from within to convey the theme, “Power of a Woman.” The artworks were displayed at the Upper Ground Level Atrium of SM Aura for a weeklong exhibit, but may now be viewed in a digital catalog in the Zonta Club of Makati and Environs (ZCME) Facebook page (facebook.com/ZontaMakatiandEnvirons). Proceeds from the sale of the paintings will go to ZCME’s charitable efforts.
Amid the reality of the continued absence of a first Filipina National Artist for Visual Arts, Sining Filipina—the brainchild of ZCME, in partnership with SM Supermalls and BDO Unibank Inc.—set out to create a space specifically to give voice to Filipina artists.
“I am actually very surprised that this is the first-ever all-female (art) competition in the Philippines, because this country is brimming with female talent,” said Singapore Ambassador Constance See Sin Yuan, who attended the March 15 awarding. “It’s a long time coming; I’m glad it’s finally being done.”
Even with the tricky time frame—the contest was announced a mere three weeks (later extended to four) before the deadline—the competition exceeded expectations in terms of quantity and quality, said ZCME vice president Joanne Zapanta-Andrada.
Staggering submissions
Anticipating only about a hundred entries, organizers and judges were instead met with a staggering 732 paintings by the end of the submission period, 75 percent to 80 percent of which were from the provinces as far as the Ilocos Region to South Cotabato and Davao del Sur.
Finalists from these remote areas were able to submit their artworks though BDO and SM branches, which took care of delivering the entries to Manila.
Open to Filipinas of all ages and skill levels from anywhere in the country, the contest would indeed attract a lot of interest from all walks of life, said SM Supermalls president Steven Tan. Participants included women as old as around 60 years old and as young as only 14.
According to Zapanta-Andrada, a fusion of technical mastery, visual appeal, faithfulness to the theme and power of message clinched it for the winners. Among the submissions, those that resonated the most with the judges were “Pira-pirasong Tela ng mga Maria” by Hannah Joy Sayam (first place), “Gabay na Ilaw” by Luckyshia Jenilou Canonigo (second place) and “Kula” by Ma. Christina Baltero (third place) for the figurative category; and “Layers of Experience” by Maria Gemma Sulidan San Jose (first place), “She’s Not That Complicated” by Maria Melissa Sangoyo (second place), and “The Power of Many” by Isabelita Rodillo (third place) for the nonfigurative category.
Tan admitted he had fears about the theme turning bleak or negative, with the pandemic not far behind us.
“Let’s face it: During the pandemic, the ones that were really affected were women because they were the ones who were taking care of the house, the family; they are the anchor,” he said. “But it came out very positive. It’s very colorful. It’s really the strength and resilience of women.”
Zapanta-Andrada marveled at the various interpretations of the concept of “women power,” sharing that there were recurring concepts of “courage to live one’s authentic self, courage to escape abusive situations, strength to assume nontraditional roles (male-dominated industry roles), the fortitude that comes with furthering traditional women’s roles (mother, teacher, friend, daughter, etc.).”
Standout concept
“One concept that stood out for me was the importance of education in order to further empower women,” she added.
She took particular notice of Canonigo’s piece, “Gabay na Ilaw,” which shows a breastfeeding mother helping her young kids with their homework under the dim light of a flickering candle, a shelf of dolls in various costumes in the background. Calling it technically impressive and true to the contest’s theme, Zapanta-Andrada shared that they were all under the impression that the artwork was made by a seasoned painter. “We were delighted to find out that the painting was made by a 21-year-old from Cebu!”
Canonigo tearfully said she would now be able to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time artist, thanks to her placing at Sining Filipina. The third-year graphics and design student said she was initially reluctant to join the contest because she didn’t have time nor the money for it. But her parents pushed her to seize the opportunity. She lost sleep creating her oil painting, but she pushed on, saying it was important to be able to prove to herself and her family that she can make it in the world as an artist.
Rodillo lost sleep while creating “The Power of Many” for a different reason. “Even with the short time frame, when the subject is inspiring, your creativity will really come out,” the 58-year-old said. “Sometimes, you’re already asleep when the urge to paint comes. You want it to be morning already because the concept in your head is raring to get out. When I get like that, I don’t even wait for sunrise.”
After retiring from her career in manufacturing, she spent 20 years being a full-time housewife before turning to art once her child had grown up. Rodillo used her chemical engineering background to create the 3D effect in her painting.
While other participants clamored for an extension to the original three-week submission period, it only took Sangoyo one week to finish “She’s Not That Complicated.” The 38-year-old campus missionary from Quezon City wanted to clear up the misconception that women are “complicated, feeble-minded, hard to please.”
It was also Baltero’s first time to enter an art competition. She said she feels that her womanhood is rooted in the traditional way of washing and whitening clothes, which she learned from her grandmother and which she still followed until she became a house help in fifth grade.
“It’s also an art,” said the 28-year-old from Bulacan of the practice depicted in “Kula.” Now a freelance artist, she said she will use her winnings to buy more art materials for the next competition, but will set aside the rest for her two kids.
A similar story
The winning entries for both categories seem to tell a similar story: stepping on the shoulders of the women who came before us.
While 30-year-old Sayam’s “Pira-pirasong Tela ng mga Maria” honors our ancestors that stitched together the fabrics in the mantle of stories, freedoms and rights that currently envelop us, 58-year-old San Jose portrays those experiences as scars that harden and become armor for future generations.
Previously, Sayam only joined poster-making contests in school, so the administrative employee from Negros Occidental felt “blessed and happy” to have earned the first place in Sining Filipina’s figurative category.
For her part, San Jose was okay just joining the first all-women artist competition in the Philippines. Her win—her first ever—was really just a bonus. “I wanted to be part of history,” she said. San Jose used barbecue sticks to painstakingly create the pointillist artwork that took the top spot in the nonfigurative category. Growing up more of a writer, it was only in 2017 that the Ilocana started getting into painting.
“Art is a visual expression of our innermost thoughts and feelings. It is a mirror to how we view the world. It is about time that we see the world from a woman’s lens—from her heart, through her hands, cast on canvas,” Zapanta-Andrada said.
“We’re so happy that we can empower women,” said ZCME president Jeannie Abaya. “Imagine what women can do for the world—not only for themselves but for the world!”
US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said she was honored to be part of this milestone: “It’s just great to see women uplifting women. Systemically, in our societies, whether in the Philippines or the United States, women’s voices haven’t always been given opportunity to be heard to the same degree that men’s voices are. So I think reaching out and giving special place to women during National Women’s Month is particularly appropriate.”
Curiously enough, the winners seemed reluctant to call themselves artists, full stop. Instead, they introduced themselves as students, part-timers, hobbyists. And while it might be because women in general wear far too many hats, this may also be why this contest had to happen: Filipino women need to recognize their worth as creators, and Sining Filipina is definitely a step in the right direction. INQ
