Kurit: The heart of visual arts: a documentary

Abstract

Visual Arts in the Philippines can be described as fusion of western and native cultural influences. It reflects the wide range of cultural influences on society, and how these influences honed the country’s arts naturally shows. Influences of the Spaniards along with the impact of other countries can still be seen in the works of these skilled Filipinos as caused by colonization since the beginning. With the renewal of nationalism in the latter decades of the twentieth century, indigenous forms and motifs have also been adopted by modern visual arts. Filipino artists, such as Fernando Amorsolo, Napoleon Abueva, Vicente Manansala, Juan Luna, and many more have contributed for putting visual arts on the map and leaving a legacy that continues to inspire generations of artists. Up to now, they are still known and considered as national artists of the Philippines. The researchers, with a goal to share these experiences to everyone, have gathered different visual artists from Iloilo. “Kurit: The Heart of Visual Arts” is an hour- long documentary film which involves discovering the visual-arts scene in Iloilo. Additionally, it introduces new faces of visual artists that have come to inspire the future generations. The aspects involved in the film are the skills of the artist and the process involved in creating their respective art pieces, exploration of the streets of Iloilo, and use of the film as the avenue for learning among arts enthusiasts and artists themselves.