Decolonizing the Canvas: The Transformation and Reclamation of Filipino Identity Through Art

Genna Plegaria | Art History 2026

My capstone project examines the depiction of Filipino identity through the lens of various Filipino artists from the 19th to the 21st centuries. Overall this project aims to explore how art was, and continues to function as a visual way of sharing, communicating, and documenting stories of culture, resistance, and pride, providing us an insight into the beauty and complexity of the Filipino identity, considering its complicated history that has been deeply impacted by Spanish and American colonization. The artworks discussed in this online exhibit will demonstrate how nuanced and dynamic the Filipino identity is, and how art has played an active role in representing it while reflecting societal attitudes and changes, allowing Filipinos to assert and celebrate their identity despite social and colonial pressures. Through my interpretation and application of what I call the Filipino Gaze, which is informed by Post-Colonial Theory, this project will investigate the evolution and representation of Filipino identity in order to understand how art played an active role in shaping it across various periods of Philippine history. The introduction piece is an artwork by contemporary artist Pacita Abad, called Filipina: A Racial Identity Crisis. By using the unique art form of trapunto, Abad draws focus to the idea of Filipino identity being multi-faceted and diverse, which rejects the idea of stereotyping Filipinos based on how they look, where they come from, and their experiences. By illustrating a mestiza and an Indigenous Filipina, she is showing the audience how their Filipinaness is shared, and how it can manifest itself in various ways. 

Juan Luna’s (1857-1899) Spoliarium was groundbreaking and earned him international success as a Filipino artist. This piece depicts dead Roman gladiators being stripped of their armor and dragged on the floors of a Spoliarium, which is a space in a Roman colosseum reserved for dead gladiators. Created 15 years before the Philippines’ liberation from Spanish colonization, this monumental piece is emblematic of the Filipino peoples’ struggles and sacrifices for freedom from their Spanish colonizers. Spoliarium critiques the oppressive Spanish government, providing a platform for Filipinos to raise awareness about the injustices that they had been living under for hundreds of years. The dead gladiators symbolize the oppressed Filipinos, while the spectators and Roman soldiers represent the colonizers. As an ilustrado, Luna pushed for reform and liberation and used his art to give Filipinos a voice and confidence to assert agency. It was through this allegorical painting and Luna’s status as a talented artist that gave Filipinos a sense of pride and fostered a collective national consciousness.

Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972) commonly depicted Philippine rural landscapes, culture, and landscapes in an idealized way, shifting the focus to more local subjects, which had not been commonly done before. Tinikling is a traditional Filipino dance, and this piece depicts a joyful moment in the countryside, showing community and an appreciation for Filipino heritage. Influenced by the prominent use of light in impressionism, Amorsolo’s radiant art can essentially be interpreted as a motif for bright beginnings and hope, as Amorsolo’s optimistic and romanticized depiction life in the Philippines signals a shift towards a more hopeful and brighter future, as the Philippines had just been liberated from U.S. By depicting traditional Filipino culture, Amorsolo embraces and acknowledges the diversity and richness of it, which can also be interpreted as a way to recognize, publicize, and reclaim Filipino identity in a postcolonial era.