Asian art from the Philippines is distinctly unique and at the same time may be quite a challenge to identify. And this is because Philippine society is highly diverse, with sub-cultures practiced and respected all throughout the archipelago. Yet despite these cultures that for others are archaic, Filipinos have great creations of modern art as well.

Speaking of, the country is comprised of more than seven thousand islands and each of these has a culture and tradition of its own, along with the local dialect spoken therein. Philippine art has also been exposed to influences from other countries. This is evident in all art forms including wall paintings. This is why aside from native Filipino arts, there are those that are of Chinese, Hispanic, American, and other origins. The art from respective foreign influence has already been blended to that of the country’s native art pieces which makes identifying the true origin of the art an extra challenge.

Despite the aforementioned diversity, Asian arts in the Philippines show lots of rural genre. Rural life has been a major component of the Filipino lifestyle since time immemorial. Rustic scenes include those related to fishing and harvesting crops and fruits. And more than anything, bayanihan is always in the picture.  It is the Filipino way of showing camaraderie.  Neighbors, friends, and family help each other in whatever way they can.

Traditionally, fishing has served as a good source of income for Filipino fishermen. With Philippine waters providing a healthy breeding ground for delicious species of fish and marine life, fishing is obviously another favourite subject in Filipino wall paintings. We see this kind in classical arts and even up to now where modern arts are more sought after. Such traditional rural genre is now blended with modern touch and style to make the art piece more interesting and attractive to look at.

Filipinos are creative and one of the ways they express their imagination is by way of the arts, whether they are wall paintings or some other forms. Promoting the beauty of their work is never an issue or concern. And perhaps this is due in part to the inherent brilliance in the arts arena and the fact that English is the second language of the country, which makes promoting Asian arts from within a not too difficult task at all.

(Video from youtube.com; posted by fonsucu 12.18.10)

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Jocelyn Aps is the Business Development Manager at Artyii, Asia's leading community for emerging paint artists. Launched in November 2010, Artyii offers a powerful global platform to discover emerging Asian art. Over 500 artists from Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia have trusted Artyii, thus far. Membership is by-invite only. Apart from sharing art, artists can communicate with gallery owners and art collectors online to enhance their profile.