P3: Our Ongoing Journey in Pilipino American Design Aesthetics

PilDesign's P3: Our Ongoing Journey in Pilipino American Design Aesthetics


San Francisco Public Library

December 1, 2005 to January 31, 2006
3rd Floor, Filipino American Center
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin St.
San Francisco, California

PilDesign is promoting the Philippines through a series of inspiring visuals of the Pearl of the Orient. Fil-Americans, Immigrants and Foreigners will be enticed to visit the motherland though the sights of her historic landmarks, luscious food and rich art and culture.


P3 Exhibit at the Filipino American Center

A panel talk on Filipino Design aesthetic research will be held on December 21, 2005 at 5-7 PM. Artists' reception will follow from 7-7:30PM.

Pildesign is a group consisting of Filipino Americans and Philippine born designers and artists seeking to define Filipino Design Aesthetics. The members are also finding more ways to incorporate their Filipino culture into their work, both professionally and for personal, artistic goals.


Planning meeting (L-R) Mark Sta. Ana, Al Perez and Gloria G. Galang (on cellphone Bren Bataclan)

This year's exhibit will feature work from Al Perez, Gloria G. Galang, John Lomibao, Eduardo Datangel, Raymond Virata, Bren Bataclan, Milbert Mariano, Mark Sta. Ana, Christian Alcala and Gerard Talampas.

Pananaw-The Philippine Journal of Visual Arts

Though it's considered a periodical, Pananaw (Vision), the Philippine Journal for Visual Arts, is printed as a slick hardbound book. Each page is designed well and features beautiful art, it will be a shame to print it on anything less. Published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the journal gives the public access to beautiful and provocative artwork. It also provides insight and history of Filipino Art.

Despite it's exquisite presentation, it doesn't come out regularly. It's first issue came out in 1997 and its fourth issue only came out in 2002. It's not cheap either, at $60, it's not exactly a price for the public the book wishes to reach.

In the first book, here are some interesting excerpts:

The Pinoy Visual Artist and the Asia Pacific Century by Emmanuel Torres

"With the rise of Folk Modernists, the Angono Group and Social Realism, narrative/didactic approaches to artwork increased, specially in nationalist protest art under the Marcos regime, Exponents of mixed media flourished as much as of installation work using indigenous materials-found objects, ready mades, junk- and drawing inspiration from folk ethnic and popular sources. Native themes and images persisted to form the basis of a more assertive nationalism, or 'Filipinism'..."

ASEAN Aesthetics by Paul Blanco Zafaralla

"The pluralism that define Philippine aesthetics is a verdict of its long period of cultural history. Through the centuries, several cultures imploded into the country from animism to the present demands of the cyberage.

Ancient Philippine aesthetics was inscribed on bamboo nodes, farm and household implements, on outer walls of houses, etc. Spaces were almost always filled up with shapes-major and minutiae.

During the 333 years of the Hispanic period, Filipino aesthetic sense was almost always riveted on Jesus Christ, thereby revealing the people's Christocentric culture."