Tamulawen Ya Zambales Exhibit Catalog

Tamulawen

CASA San Miguel Foundation & Anita Magsaysay-Ho Community Arts Program

Exhibit Notes

byWilliamMatawaran&AkweyDalusong

Exhibitors

NomadicIndigenousPeopleI

2018

Ink on paper

72 x 51 CM (unframed)

William Matawaran

P16,000

Matawaran has long been practicing his skills and artistry using ink since he was 12 years old He vividly remembers doing school projects in this visual style ranging from illustrations to pseudo-fine art requirements

In this type of visual style, Matawaran has no teacher or mentor that taught him this Instead, he learned by just practicing the visual styles of the cartoon, Avatar: The Last Airbender, during his younger years

It was until he enrolled in the Fine Arts program in University of the Philippines Baguio where he was encouraged to

pursue the usage of this medium in which it became his weapon of choice.

This painting, originally untitled until the its recent exhibit, is an artwork study for his academic thesis paper in which he tries to find the relation between ink and the nomadic indigenous people of Zambales, the Aetas.

The idea of the paper was scrapped as the idea was all over the place, not until his friend and mentor, Brendale Tadeo, rekindled the connection into something tangible - Tadeo explained that ink can be diluted into many shades until it can become one with the water.

The idea of it has sparked the interest of Matawaran into explaining that the properties of ink is like of the Aeta's struggles and calls for selfpreservation, ancestral land grabbing, and recognition from the government

Cove trapak, printed on paper ran

Artist's proof of his first experiment in printmaking using tetrapak as his plate Hugely inspired by Elmer Borlongan and his steady passion for printmaking, Borlongan mentored Matawaran in this project.

A copy of this edition was exhibited in 2022 and is now in the printmaking collection of Fundacion Sanso.

PlantingRiceWithTheGovernment

2019

Oil on canvas

31 x 40 5 CM

Akwey Dalusong

P20,000

Dalusong was inspired by Fernando Amorsolo’s “Planting Rice with Mayon Volcano”, using this painting to incorporate its connotation of romanticizing difficult and mundane tasks to expose the social injustices of today using the sgraffito technique.

14 farmers in the painting represent the 14 farmers massacred in Negros Oriental.

TheRichesofthisLand

2023

Oil on canvas

60 x 60 CM

Akwey Dalusong

P40,000

Dalusong took the reference photo of this painting at Sitio Lakas Bihawo, Botolan while on a mission.

She asked an elderly man, who seemed to be the leader, what they were doing and if it was okay to take pictures.

He agreed and proudly said that it has been ten years since he started doing this job digging for water sources

He also mentioned a few known places he and his team dug up manually.

In that moment, Dalusong can sense his pride in sharing their indigenous knowledge

The man told her that one needs to hit the bedrock for the water to come out and he reminded Dalusong on how crucial it is to know what they know and their processes, not just depending on machines and technology

Here is an Aeta at his prime age digging a well about 10 feet deep to reach the source of water for the whole community

His color resembles the color of the soil that reflects a rustic gold, the riches of the Earth.

RiverLahar

2023

Mixed media on paper

29 7 x 42 CM (unframed)

William Matawaran

P9,000

The title, "River Lahar", is a play from the Greek myth of River Styx, the boundary between the mythology's Earth and Underworld.

Similar to Styx, the river itself is an actual place with a long brigde bordering the towns of San Narciso and San Felipe. The river once flowed with water that ends at the sea, but since the 1991 Mt Pinatubo eruption, lahar now has replaced the water and made the river biologically dead.

But now all things, deserve a sad ending, the now dead river

sprouts plant life that came from the lahar's nutrients, though still barren, it's still a sight to be hold.

Trekking this bridge can bring one to thinking, on whether such force of nature can end

abruptly either by nature itself or by humans. At the end of the day, life goes on into full circle and enjoying this view with the sunset is a treat itself

IfHROcampoIsStillAlive

2020 Oil on canvas 40 x 30 CM

Akwey Dalusong

P8,000

Dalusong's interpretation of a modernized painting of HR Ocampo’s The Contrast 1940

This painting was made to provoke the undisturbed and further give voice to #AyudaHindiBala during the heightened times of injustices where instead of strengthening the pandemic response and providing proper assistance to the people -- the government's idea of containing the virus was through spending more budget on military dominance and having them control the flow of people.

Many news about human rights violations due to simple protocol violations were heard of

6AMatLiwliwa

2023

Mixed media on paper

29 7 x 42 CM (unframed

William Matawaran

P9,000

Being at the beach is Matawaran's favorite past time as it is just accessible on where he lives in Zambales

Liwliwa is located at one of the region's coast town, San Felipe, Zambales, known for its pristine coastline, waves for surfing, and marvelous sunset views as it is facing the West Philippine Sea.

Enjoying the 6 AM view of the beach is a privilege not many has, especially for people living in the city Calm waves, gentle cool breeze, misty mountains at the distance - the view and experience itself is a 5-star treat

But that beauty and marvel is slowly facing adversity as it is one of the target of illegal mining for black sand from aliens with boats greatly contributing to the destruction of the environment that leads to more problems in the region.

The beaty of Liwliwa is one-ofa-kind, captivating locals and visitors alike For Matawaran to agree with that statement is not new news but for him, beauty without preservation and respect is outright destruction.

Pawikyey

2018 Oil on canvas 40 x 50 CM

Akwey Dalusong

P20,000

Artist’s first ever oil painting, commemorating a special moment at PawiCare, La Paz, San Narciso, Zambales where she experienced setting off sea turtle hatchlings praying for their survival in the vast ocean

ir 4x4, the trip took 2 hours. ht 2 hours was too long in alusong felt dehydrated and She felt ashamed when I these carabaos and the hey are carrying travel for 7 st to buy and trade goods barter area at Baquilan

an Aeta Woman framed) an

e is no problem in the world, ses on the intent of every s portrait study of an Aeta sure each dab is a f their features without the ation and alienization.

Talisayen Cove(Study)

2022 Ink on paper

31.5 x 23 CM (unframed)

William Matawaran

P5,000

NotInNature

2020 Oil on canvas

47 x 33 CM

Akwey Dalusong

P10,000

Cat-callings, whistling and other forms of sexual harassment may have been toned down by existing laws protecting women but we are still vulnerable to perverted eyes that move up and down and stays with you.

The trauma stays with us, on our skin, in our life. “Boys will be boys”, “It’s in their nature” but it’s not. It’s in the society that we allow every day and we fight every day.

The artwork study of Matawaran's drypoint print of the same title, taking notice of the lines, forms, and shapes of the landscape.

MasinlocFisherfolk

2023 Ink on paper

30 x 70 CM

William Matawaran

P13,000

On a clear day at Masinloc, Zambales, Matawaran visited the baywalk area there and saw the fisherfolk roving around their boats on the gentle water with the Masinloc coal plantation at the background He thought that it was picture-esque and very serene.

But if one should think about Masinloc, it is one of the heavyhitted areas of the invasion of Chinese vessels, most especially the illegal base settlement at Scarborough Shoal, in which is nearest at Masinloc

Continuing the pursuit of finding the relation of Easter philosophy to the plight for selfpreservation of the Philippines' Aetas, Matawaran finds himself executing another study of it, though this time on a much larger scale.

Matawaran interprets the nomadic community settled at the foot of Mt Pinatubo with scenes of adults hunting, foraging, and gathering goods for supplementaries and food while some of them stay at the makeshift hut to watch and teach the children.

Matawaran differentiates the study to the other one by highlighting the Aetas using color making a striking contrast with the use of monochrome colors

NomadicIndigenousPeopleII

2018

Ink on paper

71 x 101 5 CM (unframed)

William Matawaran

OnloanfromtheJoeyTabulaCollection

As the imagined mountains looms over the background, lush greenery and a body of water are interpreted at the foot of the mountains giving sustenance to the community for which the Aetas have now the responsibility to give back to and nurture what was given to them for free

Even before the colonization of the islands, Aetas are seen as one of the guardians of nature for their extensive indigenous knowledge that had span for centuries. Preserving through government intervention and support must be of utmost importance in lands that once had been dominated by them.

SaPagbayongDaluyon,NakahanapAkongKasiyahan

2017 Acrylic on canvas

73.5 x 73.5 CM

William Matawaran

OnloanfromtheElmerBorlongan&PletBolipataCollection

In a nearly dead river wades a boat carrying tro fishermen who are joyfully celebrating their only catch - a live fish, amidst the river's trash.

Matawaran's artwork entrails a glimpse of the Philippine's injust social classification and poor environmental care which forces the lower classes to fight for their survival, masking it as "Filipino resiliency".

Painawa

2022

Oil on canvas

152 x 91 CM Akwey Dalusong

A commissioned piece for a resort in San Felipe, Zambales. Painawa is a Sambal word for pahinga or rest.