Rejecting the Standard: Ang Kiukok’s Legacy in Philippine Modern Art

Summary

The video explores the revolutionary power of modern art, specifically focusing on the work of Filipino artist Ang Kiukok. It delves into his emotionally charged paintings, which depict suffering, resistance, and societal turmoil. The script highlights Kiukok's famous 'Screaming Figures,' created before the 1986 People Power Revolution, as a prophetic visual allegory for the struggles of the time. Through a broader historical and artistic lens, the narrative connects his art to the universal human condition, showcasing how modernism can mirror social and political upheavals.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Modern art reflects social, political, and cultural turmoil, using abstract forms to portray chaos and resistance.
• 🖌️ Ang Kiukok's painting 'Screaming Figures' symbolizes the suffering, anger, and discontent of society, especially in the context of the Philippines before the 1986 EDSA Revolution.
• 🇵🇭 The use of blue and red in his art can be linked to the colors of the Philippine flag, symbolizing patriotism, resistance, truth, justice, and peace.
• 👥 Ang Kiukok's work is a representation of the collective suffering and resilience of the Filipino people, particularly the Chinese community in the Philippines.
• 🖼️ His artistic style evolved from early Chinese ink and brush painting to a more vivid expressionist style influenced by artists like Pablo Picasso and Francis Bacon.
• 😡 Ang's paintings, such as his depictions of suffering Christs and man on fire, often commented on societal issues, expressing anguish and protest against injustice.
• 🌍 Modernism, as a movement, emerged as a response to societal changes and was often rejected by fascist regimes, yet it stood as a symbol of resistance to oppression.
• 🎭 Despite the harsh themes in his works, Ang also depicted tender and universal human emotions, showing love and nurturing through his 'Mother and Child' series.
• 🏛️ Ang Kiukok's works gained international recognition and are now exhibited in various museums and galleries worldwide, symbolizing his lasting impact on art.
• 💪 His art serves as a reminder of the importance of being aware and speaking up against falsehoods and injustices, encouraging people to seek and reveal the truth.

Q & A

What themes are explored in the painting 'Screaming Figures' by Ang Kiukok?

'Screaming Figures' explores themes of anguish, discontent, and fury, symbolizing resistance against oppression and societal collapse. It also serves as a prophetic visual allegory related to the political unrest leading up to the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

How do the colors red and blue in the painting connect to Filipino symbolism?

In Filipino symbolism, the red color stands for patriotism, valor, and resistance, while blue represents truth, justice, and peace. The contrasting hues in the painting reflect these cultural values, especially when viewed through the lens of the Philippine flag.

How did modernism and cubism influence Ang Kiukok's work?

Ang Kiukok was heavily influenced by modernist and cubist movements, which emerged in the West during times of social and political upheaval. These styles helped him deconstruct reality, portraying chaos and suffering. His work was particularly influenced by Picasso's cubism, which also had strong anti-war sentiments.

What impact did Ang Kiukok's early life and cultural background have on his art?

Born to Chinese immigrants in the Philippines, Kiukok's early experiences of cultural prejudice and societal challenges shaped his artistic themes of suffering and resistance. His upbringing in a traditional Chinese household, alongside Filipino influences, contributed to his unique artistic expression.

What political and historical context is reflected in Kiukok's 'Screaming Figures'?

'Screaming Figures' reflects the political climate of the Philippines during the Marcos regime, marked by military rule, corruption, and societal unrest. The painting was created a year before the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, symbolizing the outcry against tyranny and injustice.

How did Ang Kiukok's style evolve over time?

Ang Kiukok's style evolved from more rigid forms and still-life paintings to vivid expressionism after being influenced by American Abstract Art and artists like Francis Bacon. His later works were filled with themes of madness, sorrow, and agony, reflecting his disillusionment with societal conditions.

What role did Ang Kiukok's art play during the Marcos regime?

During the Marcos regime, Ang Kiukok's art served as a form of political commentary, depicting the violence and oppression of the era. His 'Screaming Figures' and other works symbolized the inhumanity and suffering caused by authoritarian rule.

How did Ang Kiukok's portrayal of Christ differ from traditional religious depictions?

Ang Kiukok's depictions of Christ, especially in his Pietas, were filled with anguish rather than salvation. His Christ figures, impaled with thorn-like nails and set against a backdrop of refuse, symbolized despair and the futility of sacrifice in a world filled with suffering and indifference.

What was the significance of Ang Kiukok's later works featuring clowns?

Ang Kiukok's later works featuring clowns portrayed them as comical yet despairing figures, symbolizing the mockery of human existence. These clowns, juggling or contorting themselves, reflected the absurdity of life, with their smiles masking deeper sorrow.

How did Ang Kiukok's art address the concept of human suffering and resistance?

Ang Kiukok's art consistently explored the darker aspects of human existence, particularly suffering and resistance. His works, including 'Screaming Figures', acted as a catalyst for social change, urging viewers to confront harsh realities and resist societal injustice.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 The Intersection of Revolution and Modern Art

This paragraph explores the concept of revolution and how modern art encapsulates its principles and emotions. It discusses Uncle's 'Screaming Figures,' a painting dominated by seven figures and a scarlet red background. The central figure, with clenched fists, radiates anguish and fury. The contrasting hues of red and blue invoke the Filipino flag, symbolizing valor, patriotism, justice, and peace. The paragraph delves into modernism's response to societal chaos and political shifts, touching upon Picasso's 'Guernica' as a significant anti-war piece reflecting the absurdity of conflict.

05:01

🖌️ Ang Kyukok’s Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

This section details Ang Kyukok's early life, his family background, and his initial foray into the art world. Born to Chinese immigrants, Kyukok started his artistic journey copying movie advertisements and studying Chinese brush painting. His formal art education at the University of Santo Tomas led him to be mentored by renowned artists like Vicente Manansala, who played a key role in shaping his career. Kyukok's early recognition came through competitions, and despite his father's wishes for him to run the family business, he pursued art, reflecting his drive to chart his own path.

10:02

💡 Political Context and Kyukok's Artistic Development

This paragraph dives into the political environment that influenced Kyukok's work, focusing on his experiences in Manila during the Marcos regime. Kyukok's work during this time portrayed the ugliness, anger, and brutality of society. His 'Screaming Figures,' created a year before the 1986 EDSA Revolution, was seen as a visual commentary on the oppressive atmosphere. The description highlights the recurring themes of despair and suffering in his works, using dogfights and cockfights as metaphors for societal violence. His international recognition grew, despite his portrayal of painful realities.

15:03

🤡 A Shift to Softer Themes and Clown Imagery

Towards the end of his life, Kyukok’s artistic style softened. This paragraph describes how his later works, including depictions of clowns and harlequins, appear less harsh than his earlier paintings. However, these clowns are more than comedic figures; they mock the viewer, with their grins hiding despair and the audience becoming the subject of the joke. Kyukok’s critique of society persisted, though delivered through a more subdued artistic lens. His work remained grounded in human concerns, and despite his fame, he resisted pressures to conform to commercial artistic trends, maintaining his integrity.

Keywords

💡Revolution

A significant and often violent change in political power or social structures. In the video, the term 'revolution' refers to the social upheaval depicted by modern artists, reflecting a society on the brink of change. The theme explores how revolutions are born out of societal collapse and the desperation for change, using art as a medium to capture the emotions and struggles of such times.

💡Modernism

An art movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rejecting traditional styles and embracing abstraction and experimentation. In the video, modernism is linked to the depiction of societal shifts and destruction, as artists like Picasso and Ang Kiukok used this style to reflect the chaotic and disjointed nature of life during political upheavals, such as wars and dictatorships.

💡Expressionism

An artistic movement focused on representing emotions and subjective experiences, often through distorted figures and bold colors. The video discusses Ang Kiukok’s works, which are heavily expressionist, portraying intense emotions like anger, suffering, and despair. His screaming figures are a prime example, showing the torment of human existence during times of societal crisis.

💡Cubism

A revolutionary art movement led by Picasso that abandoned perspective in favor of fragmented and abstracted forms. In the video, Cubism is highlighted as a tool for artists like Picasso, who used it to create politically charged works like 'Guernica,' depicting the horrors of war and the absurdity of violence. It symbolized resistance against conformity and traditional structures.

💡Screaming Figures

A recurring theme in Ang Kiukok’s paintings, representing anguish, oppression, and the collective pain of society. The central screaming figure in his works, as discussed in the video, becomes a symbol of resistance, with clenched fists raised in defiance, representing the people's struggle against power abuses and injustice.

💡Ang Kiukok

A Filipino-Chinese expressionist artist known for his intense, often violent imagery. The video delves into his life and art, highlighting how his works are visual allegories of the societal turmoil and political repression he witnessed, such as during the Marcos regime. His depictions of human suffering and conflict resonated with the Filipino people’s fight for justice and change.

💡Philippine Flag

A symbol of the Filipino people's struggles and aspirations, the colors of which—red and blue—are used metaphorically in the video. The red stands for patriotism, valor, and resistance, while the blue represents truth, justice, and peace. The video connects these colors to the contrasting emotions depicted in Ang Kiukok’s art, where red symbolizes rage and blue offers glimpses of hope.

💡Guernica

A famous anti-war painting by Pablo Picasso, created during the Spanish Civil War. The video references 'Guernica' as a powerful example of how modern art can act as resistance, capturing the horrors of war and political repression. It serves as a benchmark for how modernism and cubism were used to challenge societal norms and portray the human condition.

💡EDSA Revolution

The peaceful uprising in the Philippines in 1986 that led to the ousting of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The video suggests that Ang Kiukok’s 'Screaming Figures,' completed a year before this revolution, was almost prophetic in its portrayal of the societal anger and desire for change, symbolizing the people’s collective struggle against authoritarian rule.

💡Cultural Malaise

A state of deep dissatisfaction and disillusionment within a society. The video uses this term to describe the societal atmosphere that modernist artists like Ang Kiukok sought to portray, where people felt trapped by political oppression, economic hardship, and cultural decline. The art serves as a reflection and critique of these conditions.

Highlights

Modern art reflects historical revolutions by portraying social, political, and cultural shifts, emphasizing the artists' reaction to societal chaos and disruption.

Uncle's 'Screaming Figures' painting represents themes of anguish, discontent, and fury, with geometric figures symbolizing emotional turmoil in response to oppression.

The contrast between red and blue in 'Screaming Figures' evokes the symbolism of the Philippine flag, where red stands for patriotism and resistance, while blue signals truth and peace.

Cubism, especially through Picasso's Guernica, became an iconic symbol of resistance to conformity and censorship, deconstructing reality to reflect the absurdity of war.

Ang Kyukok's works reflect the deep cultural and societal anguish of the Philippines during times of upheaval, such as the Marcos dictatorship, with themes of suffering and resistance.

Ang Kyukok was influenced by modernist and neo-modernist traditions, combining personal experiences with larger historical and cultural events in his art.

Kyukok's early life, growing up in a Chinese immigrant family, influenced his art, particularly his depiction of the minority Chinese community’s struggles in the Philippines.

His mentor, Vicente Manansala, and his studies at the University of Santo Tomas, deeply impacted Kyukok's style, blending modernist techniques with Filipino cultural themes.

Kyukok's works, including depictions of cockfights and dogfights, allegorically represent the brutal nature of human conflict and the relentless struggle for survival in oppressive regimes.

His 'Man on Fire' painting serves as a prophetic warning against societal collapse, created just years before the 1986 EDSA Revolution in the Philippines.

Ang’s art, though often depicting violence and despair, also showcased themes of tenderness and love, particularly through his 'Mother and Child' pieces.

Ang’s later works, such as his depictions of clowns, carry a biting sarcasm, reflecting the absurdity and theatricality of human existence.

Despite gaining international recognition, Ang stayed true to his artistic vision, rejecting commercially popular themes in favor of honest depictions of human suffering.

Ang was named a National Artist for Visual Arts in 2001, solidifying his place in Philippine art history as a powerful voice against oppression and injustice.

His depictions of Christ's crucifixion were devoid of salvation, symbolizing a world indifferent to suffering, where the agony of Christ continues in a broken society.

Art critic Alice Guillermo highlighted that Kyukok’s art serves not only as a reflection of political realities but also as a catalyst for social change, urging viewers to confront the truth.

Transcripts

what makes a revolution

how do we access its historical values

principles and emotions and what stories

does Modern Art have to tell us about

its artists who portrayed the Deep

cultural malaise before its wake

[Music]

rage permeates Uncle screaming figures

aggressively dominant the Scarlet red

background encloses all seven figures

its central figure jumps out free in and

chain screaming his hollow torso serves

as the painting's focal point as the

screams radiate from it and in

solidarity with two other figures behind

him both his fists are clenched and

raised like a gladiator ready for battle

collectively the figures are united by

their distressed facial distortions

each geometric figure is conceived in

retaliation to one another each angular

stroke is emotionally charged with

anguish discontent and fury

upon closer inspection spots of blue

disrupt the outrage as if to offer some

possible glimpses of calmness and

freedom

these contrasting Hues of blue and red

are familiar to Filipinos

if seen through the lens of the

Philippine flag the red could stand for

patriotism Valor and resistance while

the blues signal truth justice and peace

style developed through the modernist

Cornerstone of his contemporaries

at the turn of the 20th century

modernism emerged in the west with its

distinct stylistic Legacy of mirroring

social political shifts in all of its

destruction in tumult reflecting life in

broken shards where artists found

themselves needing to deconstruct

perceived reality in order to make sense

of the chaos rejecting the standard as

the standard rejected the truth

at this period in world history Fascism

and its agents were famous for rejecting

modernism's abstractions the hegemony of

European life was tense

during the Spanish Civil War for example

the most powerful anti-war Cubist

painting was made reinvigorating the

historical genre of visual art

Picasso's Guernica was created during

the dictatorship of Francisco Franco and

is considered the greatest anti-war

mural it allegorically depicts a scene

during the bombing of the titular

Village exposing the absurdity and the

effects of War

it has cemented cubism's Legacy as

resistance to Conformity and censorship

and from then onwards modernism has been

symbolic of a historic departure from

tradition giving birth to intermingling

stylistic forms from surrealism and

cubism to expressionism and conceptual

cubism was not extended by abstraction

but betrayed by it even as its stylistic

Legacy was ubiquitous discernible in

everything from Office Buildings to

coasters the Revolutionary promise of

the work remained Frozen in historical

Amber

Revolution is a bloody day of

Retribution a result of a collapsing

Society where its people are desperate

for change

screaming figures completed a year

before the EDSA People Power evolution

of 1986 seems almost prophetic

to coat his homecoming exhibition tax in

Davao City in 1981. screaming figures is

a visual allegory for the age or of any

age for that matter as long as abuse of

power this equilibrium and Injustice

continue to exist in the world ankuk's

works are enduring records of suffering

and resistance of Despair and Hope

understanding kyukook's body of work

requires understanding his early life

his mentors personal circumstances and

most importantly the Philippines he

lived through

[Music]

born on March 1 1931 the Chinese

immigrants Vicente Ang and Chin Lim

ankuk was an only son in a family of

five sisters intending to preserve their

Heritage his father wanted to name him

washing

which directly translates two of Chinese

descent

but then decided on another name when he

learned that his cousin's son had been

given the exact same name

and so with a worry about China's fate

against the invading manchurians at the

time his father named him meaning save

the country

at a young age qcock did comical

sketches while studying Chinese ink and

brush painting methods influenced by the

traditional yet playful style of kipashi

early in his life kukok would copy movie

advertisements while attending to his

father saris sari store a business that

he is expected to inherit and someday

manage on his own

despite his father's wishes kukoc

pursued his formal art studies at the

University of Santo Tomas in the Years

1952-1954 with a renowned painter

Vicente Manansala as his mentor who

eventually became his lifelong friend

qcock also studied under the

professorship of artists who are now

considered Masters including Victoria

edades Carlos botong Francisco Jose

Garcia llamas diosdado Lorenzo sculptor

Francesco Monte Gallo Ocampo and

Virginia t

when he finished his studies at

University kukoc taught visual art

overseas in China for five years

a former student of Ang kyukok wrote the

epilogue on Alfredo Ross's weighty

volume kukoc deconstructing despair

ankuk's artistic expressionism as a

response to the archetypal [ __ ] who

has endured centuries of prejudice in

the Philippines

Stuart a young writes that ANSI offers a

perspective on how his Works can be seen

as kukoc's own personal experiences as

reality's typical or common to many

Chinese families living in the

Philippines

a representation of the collective

cathartic expression of the minority

Chinese Community protesting the

centuries of abuse perpetrated upon them

by the mainstream Philippine Society at

Large

this is an alternative way of viewing

Ang's motives in his chosen medium

his first formal recognition came from

Shell National students art competition

in 1995. a third prize award for his

work titled Kalesa with Vicente

menansala's encouragement kukoc launched

his first one-man show at the

Contemporary Arts Gallery he then went

on to receive several awards from the

Art Association of the Philippines for

work such as the bird in 1959

fish in 1963 and still life in red in

1963.

these commercially welcomed works during

this time are considered to be the least

angst filled despite the apparent

rigidity in his style even in his

still-life paintings

his career took a turning point in 1965

when he traveled with Vicente maransala

to New York where he was surprised by

the alienation in urban squalor

stylistically it was here where he was

heavily influenced by American Abstract

Art reminiscent of Francis bacons

it is here where his art seems to have

been fully realized by his foreign

influences Masters such as Pablo Picasso

Francis Bacon Matthias Grunwald Graham

Sutherland rufino Tamayo and Rico LeBron

while still distinct in lieu of his

personal stylistic affiliations with the

Philippine modernist and neo-modernist

traditions

when he returned to the Philippines his

Works had a new Vivid expressionist

direction that included themes of

Madness sorrow and Agony these heavy

themes weren't well received by the Art

Market of the time which caused art

dealers and collectors to lose interest

in his Works temporarily it was in these

times as written by his daughter Arlene

Ang when he was strongly taken over by

disillusionment in an uncanny in her

vision

he simply did not allow himself to be

bulldozed by the public swims even at

the risk of losing patrons and

recognition

safe soothingly pretty subjects were not

his cup of tea and Arlene intimately

accounts how his father knows life is

not a bed of roses at least not roses

without thorns

in her essay beyond the thorny path

Filipino art critic Maria salvalimbo

ascribes the Trope of the thorny path

and Spike to describe Aang's artistic

sensibilities development and Aesthetics

limbo Alliance ax works with the

traditions of the expressionists through

the thorn Motif depicting angst works as

a conversation on dissonance within the

core of human existence manifested and

revealed by the realities of Anguish and

suffering

Arlene Ang writes that in a third world

country where religion in Marxist terms

is opium for the people even his

depiction of Christ's crucifixion does

not seem to suggest salvation

impaled with thorn-like nails usually

set against a backdrop of convoluted

junk his christs may be dead but they

are still very much in agony

yes he died on the cross for us but look

around you everything goes on as if

nothing has happened he died in vain

people don't really give a damn

even his pietas are shrouded in the

darkness where mother Mary Grieves alone

over her son's dead body in a wasteland

of piled refuse this imagery brought his

Works into the Manila art scene where

his style was packaged under the term

angst filled

recognition came as the city of Manila

awarded kyukok the padmavai Nang

kilinangan award in 1976 and in 1978. he

was awarded outstanding alumnus by the

University of Santo Tomas in 1980 his

work modern angst was a finalist at the

mobile art Awards

a decade later he was featured with onib

olmego and Solomon Supreme in a show

entitled three figurative expressionists

held at the cultural center of the

Philippines

it is further revelatory that ankuk was

shaped by the Manila of his time

abnormality had become the pattern of

everyday life where all Filipinos are

still reeling from the consequences of

the Forgotten Battle of Manila a battle

best remembered as the consequence of

both Imperial U.S and Japan

destroying the city into Rubble only to

be treated by a Band-Aid called

neoliberalism

by the 1960s and 1970s when qcock came

into his career the Philippine

government continued to Grapple with

corruption civilian unrest and foreign

debt life was not so much back to normal

as different

perhaps no one can best describe the

constant Rebirth of Manila other than

National artist for literature Nick

Joaquin who was born in the old District

of Paco in 1917.

the history of Manila can be put in

three words Challenge and response it

almost seems as if every problem every

crisis arises just to prove the

aliveness of this city

continually destroyed and continually

rebuilt ever decaying and ever

regreening

Ferdinand Marco senior pushed for the

creation of a new society in which old

values were supposed to be rejected in

favor of progress and reform

through the military and police's Brute

Force Marcos embarked on a decades-long

restructuring of Manila a venture that

included a Reclamation project on Manila

Bay and the building of cultural centers

inspired by local Aesthetics

during the Marcus regime a period of

countless human rights abuses and

military rule qcock produced violent and

gruesome imagery including screaming

figures

that many critics considered political

commentary on the Relentless and ease of

the era

when asked about the pain portrayed in

his art during this time he said look

around you so much anger

ugliness and also Madness

rendering inhumane acts of man towards

itself and one another kukoc portrayed

dogfights and cockfights as soldiers

such soldiers are depicted as animals in

battle reared and trained like cattle to

fight Wars that their heads of state

launch at their whim

and in this rendering of the human form

where screaming figures spoke about

outrage and Agony albeit as suffering

wouldn't liberate man from his fate his

work man on fire contrasts with less

hope

painted six years before the EDSA

Revolution the screams of this birding

figure come as a warning against playing

with matches a warning that realization

comes too late to those who wouldn't

learn from the cautions of History

it is in this brutal honesty that

ankukok became internationally known his

Works were exhibited in Japan Singapore

the Netherlands Canada and the United

States

his works are currently displayed in

various private Collections and public

institutions such as the national museum

of the Philippines that the Neo Art

Gallery the cultural center of the

Philippines and the National Historical

Commission in Taipei Taiwan

despite these rough depictions of

humanity Uncle did showcase subjects

capable of tenderness through depictions

of sensitivity passion and love in

Cubist form

his mother and children communicates

inexpressible love through the act of

nurturing

his less known lovers on the other hand

portray entwined figures strip of their

individual identities resulting in

hypnotic trance-like Union

his various Works titled still life

reveals a more detached cucook where

objects are drained of the usual

existential agony

Arlene describes these objects as

complacency as a mockery to the viewer

are you so free and well off after all

over time as the Filipinos seeming

middle-class Society regained a sense of

democracy his Arts harsh Edge softened

at the near end of his life he created

paintings of clowns with richly dressed

harlequins juggling

Arlene Ang writes that these clowns were

comically contorting themselves or

juggling balls for the Delight of Their

audience

they seem at first much more benign than

his earlier works but the butt of the

joke is on the viewer because it is he

who is being both observed and aped

clowns grin sarcastically or are bowed

in mute despair the richly clad

Harlequin with vacant smiling eyes the

bashful Joker and evacuous deep thinker

make up just another part of the sorry

cast strutting the world's stage

towards the end of his life in 2001 he

was named a national artist for visual

arts under President Gloria macapagal

Arroyo's Administration

there was a stereotypical standard set

on Filipino art collectors of the 20th

century lean towards depictions of

native festivals or if not flowery

scenes with elegant ballerinas fit for a

mid-century-style bedroom

Uncle rejected these pressures right

from the start of his career he risked

commercial notoriety in hopes of

altering the priorities of an audience

whose basic goals are wealth acquisition

and the deception of fellow men

success stems mainly from the honesty of

his art his daughter Arlene am concludes

in an interview published in his book

conversations on Philippine art Filipino

artist critic Sid Reyes reveals the

inner workings of a man known for his

reticence and seemingly anti-social

attitude from the interview it is clear

that while he was born in a traditional

Chinese home and brought up in a

Filipino environment Ang was not bound

by Such trivial and relative

imaginations

rather when seen through his art Aang

suddenly becomes transcendent his sense

of identity as revealed through his art

shows that he is above and beyond

cultures and identities

although his preoccupation is not with a

typical parochial limitations his work

is imbued with an overpowering sense of

urgency for Universal human concerns

especially the darker disturbing

realities of human existence which seems

to be quite consistent with this

seemingly reposed being and yet very

violent work

now how do we excavate the ambers of

ankuk's unsettling in angst-filled body

of work is their revolutionary promise

contained in these Embers

in answering such questions one could

turn to Art professor and critic Alice

Guillermo's essay ankuk an art of human

concerns

here she contends how art could serve as

a reflection of a political situation as

well as a catalyst for change

Guillermo attempts in a pioneering

effort to contextualize ankuk through a

semiotic framework where she writes

ankuk believes that art is a vital part

of life and should be linked to human

struggles his paintings of high impact

originate from the desire to Open the

Eyes of the viewing public to see the

truth about the universal Human

Condition

although it is also for the latter to

seek deeper into the forces that

construct the world in the very

categories of our thinking

[Music]

Filipinos find themselves once again

Bound By The Familiar chains of

disinformation

yet as presented in akuk's pre-essa

Revolution Masterpiece screaming figures

these chains are transient

lies are short-lived and as Uncle did

decades ago exemplified by his works the

people who are aware and conscious of

the truth have a responsibility to speak

up and expose these falsehoods in any

way they are able