STUDY GUIDE: ELEMENTARY BATO BALANI WORKS BY RODEL TAPAYA ATENEO ART GALLERY 21 January -30 April 2014 A NOTE TO TEACHERS This study guide is designed for elementary school students visiting the exhibition Bato-balani. Included here are reference materials and activity sheets that provide exercises aimed at developing students’ verbal, analytical, and creative skills as they learn to experience art. The section Artwork Focus directs the class to five individual works, while the My Favorites section invites students to recall favorites from the exhibition. Activities like skits and show and tell can take cue from the second section. Teachers are encouraged to conduct a pre-visit and coordinate with the museum staff regarding the tour. Discussions during the museum visit can be initiated by the teacher or guide using the suggested questionnaire. Activities can be done during the students’ visit to the gallery, as homework, or inside the classroom as a post visit activity. Terms which may need further explanation in class are italicized. This study guide can be reproduced. Visit the museum’s website to download this in PDF and to find more information about the artist and the exhibition.

For inquiries, please contact: Ria Talamayan-Aguilar at [email protected] or call the curatorial office at +632 426 6488

We hope you find your museum visit enriching!

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Language enables us to convey ideas, feelings, and beliefs as well as to explain things happening around us. It helps us make sense of the world we live in. Our expressions can be said in many ways by different people at different times and places. Like messages handed down from one generation to another, telling stories becomes an important part of a family or community’s way of life. These stories ignite the imagination and teach valuable lessons that surpass the test of time.

Rodel Tapaya takes us on an exciting exploration of Philippine folklore. He opens portals to the fantastic world of gods and spirits. He recalls familiar characters like the mangkukulam performing witchcraft and the nocturnal manananggal. He activates animals and other mythical beings living in the same realm as humans. The artist’s works show these characters in legends about amulets shielding heroes from danger. Or about objects called talismans that bring good fortune to the land. Like a creative storyteller, Mr. Tapaya revisits these tales as old as time and opens our senses to realities that shape our understanding of ourselves and the universe. ABOUT THE ARTIST Rodel Tapaya (1980) is a Filipino artist born in Rizal. He is best recognized for his vivid and colorful paintings on Philippine folklore. As an artist, he always experiments with new materials to invent new forms. Did you know that he painted on inverted glass, too? He studied Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines. He also had the opportunity to study drawing and painting at the Parsons School of Design in New York and at the University of Arts and Design in Helsinki, Finland. He won many awards in various art competitions. Rodel is married to Marina Cruz who is also an artist. At present, they live in Bulacan where they work on his paintings and other projects. (please include photo of the artist) TO THE STUDENTS Learn about age-old stories by looking at the artworks.

You can even imagine that you’re an anthropologist trying to discover stories and cultures of people. Bring a pencil with you. Draw, color, and have fun with the answer sheets.

1. Find this painting. This painting was inspired by the story Juan Wearing a Monkey’s Skin. The story is based on a Kapampangan folktale. Juan is a monkey born from human parents. He married a beautiful princess after a long and adventurous journey. Juan shed off his skin and transformed into a handsome young man, seeing that the princess was unhappy being married to an animal. Because his appearance changed, it took some time before the princess believed it was he. This painting reminds us about people’s desire to be young and beautiful. It questions the tireless efforts we go through to improve our looks. What for you is beautiful? Animals usually play an important role in folktales as bearers of message. How many animals can you find the painting? Describe how they look like. What do their expressions suggest? Notice the figure on the right attached to the house and the sheep. What colors do you see? Look closely and name parts of your body that you recognize from the figure. Draw the shape of the canvas below. What would Juan look like as a man?

At home, write a story about the animals in the painting. What could they be saying to one another?

2. Spot the painting with the large bee and flower. Notice the interesting shape of the canvas. Rodel Tapaya is also known for framing his paintings in various shapes and materials like tin sheet. Rodel patterned these shapes after objects believed to attract good fortune or protect us from harm. The wish that the person we love would love us in return is age-old. We find the expression of this wish in many stories, from books, to TV shows, and movies we have seen. Notice the closeness of the bee and the flower. Can you name a similar story? This painting is based on a folktale that tells the story of an unattractive woman who changes her appearance to lure the man into liking her. Count the number of petals on the flower. Describe the two faces of women at its center. Which do you find more interesting? Why do you say so? Look closely at the bee and its body. Notice how the artist painted thin and thick lines to suggest the smoothness or roughness of its body. Can you guess if the top part feels smooth or rough? What about the bottom part? What is the title of the painting? If you were to think of another title, what would it be? What is the bee holding? Could it be a potion given by the woman to make him love her? Color the vial below.

At home, draw a larger version of The Attraction. Using a sheet of bond paper, recreate the world of the bee and the flower. What plants and other fantastic creatures would you add? Be sure to color your work.

3. Search for this oblong-shaped painting. Amulets are objects we carry to protect us from harm. The artist says this painting is based on an amulet that shields hunters from dangers in the forest. Look at the painting. List down creatures and objects that you find in the forest. 1. ________________ 2. ________________ 3. ________________ 4. ________________ 5. ________________ 6. ________________ 7. ________________ 8. ________________ 9. ________________ 10. ________________ Imagine that you are in the forest as depicted by the artist. How does it make you feel? What makes this forest a dangerous place? Did you spot the eagle? It seems to have a long, winding ‘tail’ connecting it to some parts of the painting. Copy the path of the tail from the painting using broken lines.

Think about your personal amulet. Is there an object you believe has the power to protect you from harm? It can be actual or imagined. Using a clean sheet of paper, draw this object. At home, ask your parents or older siblings about how humans have also caused destruction in the forest. It is home to many creatures, including plants and animals, and even spirits as many of our folktales suggest. Even though the forest has its dangers, the consequences of our actions have changed its condition. Think about the little things that we can do to help protect it.

4. Look for this large painting. Paintings as big as an entire wall are described as mural¬-sized. Murals are huge paintings on the wall or ceiling. Large paintings overwhelm us, don’t you think? This painting combines several stories explaining how the world began. The artist takes inspiration from creation stories originating from various parts of the Philippines. The huge size of the canvas seems to approach us, inviting us to enter a spectacular dimension where events appear to happen all at once. Find the man holding a bow. He is Ukunirot. He is a sky dweller who went down from the heavens to live on earth. The beauty and richness of nature attracted him. How would you describe his appearance? What is he wearing? Ukunirot’s gaze is directed to the right side of the painting. At the center, we find a hole. It is like a window where gods could view their creations on earth. Like in many of the artist’s paintings, this figure is linked to something else. It is connected to the eye of Kabunian. The Bontocs, a group from the northern part of the Philippines, believe he is their supreme god. What does Kabunian look like? Below, fill in the details of his head by drawing and coloring.

Kabunian’s mouth is open, ready to receive grains from the hands of Lumawig, his second son. Legend tells us that Lumawig had wanted to live on earth. His father agreed, provided that he bring some things with him so that human beings could partake of them. Look at Lumawig. What is he carrying? Also look at the figure connected to Lumawig’s right foot. She is a sun goddess, offering a precious object to Lumawig. The goddess thought he could give it to the woman he wants to marry on earth. What is it? Draw this object below.

Name: _________________ __________________ has the power to ___________________________. It can also ____ ___________________________.

Group name: _________________ __________________ has the power to ___________________________. It can also _______________________________.

At home, ask your parents to share with you stories about how the world was created, told to them as a child. Make your own creation story. What kind of world will you create? Seek the help of an older sibling or your parents to create a collage. Use a separate sheet of bond or colored paper. Paste cutout pictures from magazines and other printed material.

5. Find the installation which looks like the artist’s drawing below.

An installation is an artwork made up of sculpture and other objects. Installations often occupy wider spaces in museums or galleries. When we view installations, there is a feeling that we are part of the work. When we move about this type of artwork, we physically experience space and the objects that occupy it. Go to this installation and walk past it to see its many surprises. What do you see in the installation? Share your experience of viewing the installation. Convince your friend to view this artwork by writing a short note.

Have you heard of stories about monsters with detached bodies? Their upper body is separated from the hips down. How many upper bodies do you see? How many lower bodies? Count and make a tally below.

How many?

The artwork is based on the manananggal figure in Philippine mythology. Based on the stories you have heard, can you imagine what they look like? Draw a scary manananggal below.

Did you know? Many of Rodel Tapaya’s works are drawn from a combination of stories like myths, legends, folktales, and even riddles. He reveals to us the value of Philippine oral literature by showing us how plenty, colorful, and witty these are. They give us insights on our ways of life or culture. The artist also shows us how folklore can teach us important lessons in the present and guide our future actions. He is a silent observer of the times. He is imaginative and playful, too. Do you wonder why the group of manananggal has wings? Or why they are carrying bags? They are much like our fellow Filipinos working abroad. Although they were born in the Philippines, they pack their bags and leave home to make a living elsewhere.

At home, write a story about the manananggal installation.

II. My Favorites 1.

What is your favorite artwork in the exhibit? Draw it below. Share with the class why you liked this work. (please provide space for drawing here)

2. How did you feel when you visited the museum? Write a letter to your friend sharing your experience. Share your new discoveries. (please provide a stationery template here)

3. Among the stories which the artist has shared, which one did you like best? Who are your favorite characters? Write a short note on the table below.

STORY



CHARACTERS

As a group, reenact your favorite story in class.

4. Rodel Tapaya works with a variety of materials in his art. He used paints and canvas for paintings, tin sheets for frames, fiberglass (or plastic made strong using bits of glass), and even already existing objects. Among them, which one is your favorite? If you were an artist, what medium or material would you use for you artwork? Why do you say so? Below, draw yourself as an artist showing the medium of your choice. (please provide space for drawing here)

5. If you had the chance to ask the artist two questions, what would these be? Write them on the post-it notes below. (please provide Post-it templates here)