The Philippines, est. 2016 / Raymund Ric Bisna b.1983 / Venerando (Rey) Bollozos b.1967 / Bryan Cabrera b.1980 / King Nelson Duyan b.1994 / Alfred Galvez b.1967 / Dominic Pilapil b.1990 / Rene Pilapil b.1959 / Mark Tolentino b.1984 / Dominic Turno b.1987 / Kim Vale b.1992

Live and work in Davao City, The Philippines

The Silent Witness is a collaborative painting by ten artists, representing various generations, who make up Piguras Davao. The epic mural celebrates the long history and melting pot of cultures of Mindanao in a profusion of symbols and references. Mythology, historical events and elements from popular culture are anchored by a vast textile, stretching across the landscape and travelling through time and space.

We see the god Manama creating the world; Mebuyan, the goddess of the underworld; Spanish conquistadores and American fighter planes; Islamic and Christian sacred places; Arab and Chinese traders; and sultans and samurai interacting in the dreamlike panorama. In the sky of the right panel, an ornate Naga (or dragon of Mindanao) confronts a Chinese dragon. Signs of the coming of ‘civilisation’ appear with a pop art absurdity: a golden toilet and an Indigenous child eating a hamburger. The painting is intended as a tribute to Davao and the influences and consciousness of the artists whose families were part of the influx of settler culture.

Return to Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: Roots and Currents