A woman with an open palm beside her mouth shouting hamos—Bicolano for “join us”—anchors a recently unveiled mural by veteran and young Bicolano artists that aims to promote good governance and social justice.
The mural, titled after the featured text, measures 9 feet by 40 feet, and is featured on a vacant wall along the highway at Barangay Basud in Sorsogon City. The project was organized by 1Sambayan-Sorsogon Youth, in partnership with Kurit-Lagting Art Collective and co-presented by the Concerned Artists of the Philippines Bicol Chapter (CAP-Bicol), 1Sambayan-Sorsogon, and 1Sambayan Youth National.
“We feel that this is a safe space to express our creative ideas to engage arts with politics, society and thought, especially our call for a government that is committed to creating a system that protects human rights and civil liberties,” Robert Christian Labalan, president of 1Sambayan-Sorsogon Youth, said in a statement.
According to Allan Abrigo, one of the co-founders of Kurit-Lagting Art Collective and team leader of the project, Hamos is inspired by constructivist art and social realist paintings in the Philippines. He said they intend to encourage young Filipinos to be one of the key players in the vision to revive the failing democracy in Philippine governance by taking a more active and responsive role as citizens.
Surrounding the mural’s central, shouting figure are silhouettes and other representations of different sectors of society, from the women to the youth, as well as laborers and artists, among others. Also depicted are the demands of these groups, including access to basic needs, human rights, and social justice.
The mural was conceived through a series of collaborative brainstorming and sketching sessions, according to volunteer artists RJ Abrigo and Gilbert Catabian. They added that another important aspect during the artwork’s production was “the spirit of volunteerism,” where members of the community provided food, paints and other materials.
“Initial sketches were made by young volunteer artists and we consolidated everything afterwards,” added JC Jamoralin of CAP-Bicol. “The artistic process was really very engaging because we encouraged everyone to put in their ideas.”
Abrigo and Catabian were joined in the project by other members of the Kurit-Lagting Collective and CAP-Bicol, namely, Allan Abrigo, JV Garcia, Jamoralin, Choi Carretero and Joseph Bausa. Also part of the project were youth volunteer artists Don Angelo Laureta, Venus Briñola, Pia Paola Larosa, John Sola and Victoria Clyde Tabuena.
“Ang pagkakaisa at pagbubuklod ng mga indibidwal, mga sektor at mga artista ng bayan ay napapatunayan sa isang kolektibong gawain kagaya nito para sa panawagan na magkaroon ng tapat at mahusay na pamumuno,” Abrigo said. “Ito ang hinihiling ng mga artista ng bayan na iboboto natin sa lahat ng pagkakataon.”
Image credits: RJ Abrigo, Kurit-Lagting