
“Gunita”
Watercolor, Gouache, and Colored Pencil
2021
The soul of nationalism is being exercised through activism which demands change. The rise of activism has made a bold and resounding voice in order to explore the problematic acts of the incumbent. In this free country, demonstrations and revolutions play essential roles to strengthen the love for the country, and to uphold the inherent rights of the Filipino people. That explains why the Philippine Revolutions during the Spanish era, and later, the Diliman Commune against Marcos dictatorship, become two of the most momentous uprisings to defend the revoked freedom which belongs to the masses and restore rights that have been given to the people.
As a nation, we remember those moments as a form of inculcation, in response to the sociopolitical issues of today’s era. This piece entitled “Gunita” depicts the notable stories of activism in the country, and how today’s generation reflects on those by channeling their strong sentiments in addressing today’s political issues. The uncovering reveals the glimpse of the past for the contemporaries to deeply understand what happened before allowing them to have the same vigor in facing today’s challenges. The vigor to fight what is right. The vigor to fight for change. Also, the explicit description of the work shown through facial expression and posture explains the strong state of mind of the artist, concerning the incompetent and inhumane acts of the government, then and now.
Capturing life in a modern and expressive manner, Jhaylorde Flores
Parungao is a realist hailing from Marikina, Philippines. He is currently
a college freshman taking up AA Visual Communication at the College
of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines-Diliman.