Portraiture as Political Solidarity
Three days before Pres. Benigno S. Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address, artists together with Karapatan, the End Impunity Alliance, and relatives of political prisoners opens an art exhibit entitled “PORTRAYAL: Faces For Freedom,” an exhibition of more than 50 paintings, digital art, and sketches of political prisoners in the Philippines.
Portraiture as Political Solidarity
Three days before Pres. Benigno S. Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address, artists together with Karapatan, the End Impunity Alliance, and relatives of political prisoners opens an art exhibit entitled “PORTRAYAL: Faces For Freedom,” an exhibition of more than 50 paintings, digital art, and sketches of political prisoners in the Philippines.
“The exhibition presents over 50 portraits of such political prisoners, produced by Philippine artists conveying solidarity with the campaign for their freedom. The works present the broad spectrum of people criminalized, demonized and tagged as terrorists by a state ironically famed for its own forays into contemporary fascism. As portraits, they convey both the breadth of their subjects’ ordeals and the sense of personhood that the penal system attempts to strip away,” said Lisa Ito, UP College of Fine Arts lecturer and curator of the exhibit. Ito is a member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP).
Karapatan documented 537 political prisoners as of June 30, 2015, 271 of them were arrested under the Aquino administration and are currently detained. Among them are NDFP peace consultant Alan Jazmines and Eduardo Sarmiento, who are also visual artists and writers.
Jazmines was arrested on February 14, 2011, just a few hours before the resumption of the long-stalled NDF-GPH peace talks. His arrest, and the continued imprisonment of 17 other NDF peace consultants, despite the protection guaranteed by the GPH-NDFP Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) was strongly protested by the NDF peace panel who called it a downright attack on the peace process. Jazmines’ image was depicted in a painting by former UP Fine Arts Dean Leonilo “Neil” Doloricon. Doloricon is a recipient of the Thirteen Artists Award of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and of Manila’s Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award.
In February 2009, Sarmiento was abducted by five men in plainclothes while walking along Star Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. His head was covered by dark cloth; he was taken to a safe house and interrogated for 24 hours. The following day he was brought to the Taguig Police Station where criminal cases were filed. On December 11, 2013, Ka Edong was sentenced with reclusion perpetua and is now detained at the maximum security unit of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Art teacher and CAP member Renan Ortiz rendered an image of Sarmiento. Ortiz is also among the 2012 Thirteen Artists Awardees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
“The BS Aquino regime branded the political prisoners as “enemies of the State,” denied their existence, and deprived them of right to express their opposition to Aquino’s anti-people policies. The exhibit is a clear message of protest to Aquino’s rhetoric on human rights and peace,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Among the artists who will exhibit their work are: Dhan Louie Bautista, poet Rustum Casia, musician Maan De Loyola, cartoonist Bheng Densing, graphic artist Emil Mercado, Rensi Managase of UGATLahi Artists Collective, Ding Royales, Palanca awardee Aleli Dew Ayroso, poet Daniw Santiago, Arnie Jarabilo, Yasmin Almonte of Kasibulan, Gwen Bautista, James Hermogenes, graphic artists Cristina Ponce and Lorraine Bermejo, art conservator Eden Ocampo of Kasibulan, Jamica Lois Bonifacio, Philippine Daily Inquirer cartoonist Mannix Abrera, feminist Mylene Foronda Factora, musician and CAP member Boy Dominguez, Crisanto de Leon of UGATLahi Artists Collective, multi-awarded artist and sculptor Egai Talusan Fernandez, protest musical Jess Santiago, Melvin Pollero, Bryan Pollero, illustrator Oji Valencia, Adelson Genito, graphic artist Jason Valenzuela, former political prisoner Ericson Acosta, street artist Sim Tolentino, multi-awarded artist Buen Abrigo, 2009 CCP Thirteen Artists Awardee Iggy Rodriguez, Jade Alfonso, performance artist Racquel de Loyola, Yani Ela, Bayan-NCR artist Aldrein Silanga, installation artist Emil Yap, graphic artist and Karapatan volunteer Tom Estrera III, illustrator Stephen Prestado, trade union activist Rose Bucud, cultural worker Ranma Ramones, Manila Today’s Max Santiago, US-based Filipino illustrator Enrico Maniago, Charlene Bayani, illustrators Glenda Maye Abad and Tinsley Garanchon of Kasibulan, street artists collective Gerilya, Pedro Bucud, Kasibulan President Vivian Nocum Limpin, Kasibulan secretary Doris Rodriguez, and Linangan ng Kulturang Pilipino.
Relatives of political prisoners led by Nikki Gamara and Amado Cadano lead the opening of the exhibit at 6 p.m. today at the Maximillian Gallery, 3rd Flr. Po’s Bldg., Tomas Morato corner Scout Madriñan, Quezon City. Exhibit will run at the said venue until July 25, 2015 and will also be mounted in schools and other workplaces. ###