Yearly Archives: 2024

Fernando Amorsolo: Shaping the Philippines One Brushstroke at a Time

How does a man organize a culture’s identity, in the midst of not one, not two, but three nations having colonized the Philippines? Well of course, he does it with a paintbrush. Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto was born (May 30, 1892 – April 24, 1972), having lived through Japanese and American occupation of the Philippines. He was the first appointed National Artist of the Philippines and aptly given the title, “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” and for good reason. His paintings depicted Filipino pastoral scenes as well as Filipino culture, preserving it through other countries’ occupations. His “Harvesting Under the Mango Trees” (pictured left) depicts Filipina women in traditional dress doing day-to-day activities, like leisurely picking mangoes and other vegetation. Many of these pieces were made from observation of his people’s lives, to render such actions as important and arcadian, as opposed to the erasure it may have been condemned to due to another country’s influence. Other paintings show fiestas, dancing, and around WWII, scenes of the Philippines burning (Burning of Manila, pictured below), and his protest against the violence. His work is a reflection of his day, always with pride in the heart of the Philippines. In the midst of other beauty standards being forced upon their society, Amorsolo took it upon himself to preserve his own family and the moments they shared. The creation of “Portrait of Lina” (pictured right) was in 1946: it was a quiet holy day of Good Friday when he asked her to pose for the painting. It is through this work we see how his inspiration from other artists, such as Diego Velasquez, is expressed. He is an Impressionist with lighter and looser brushstrokes usually used in landscapes, but he approaches portraiture in the same vein of Velasquez by using the alla prima method, a method of painting where it is done in one go with oil paints, not allowing previous layers to dry and applying it all while wet. She is pictured casually and youthful, naturally staring to the left side kindly. Her background is saturated with different tones of purple and blue, with warmth mixed in with light oranges and red tones. She clutches a piece of cloth to symbolize her love for sewing. The original portrait is, to this knowledge, still with Lina. Why does this matter? Well, even a Fil-Am (Filipino-American) girl from far away about 100 years later who’s never seen the islands, never caught their foot in bamboo dancing tinikling, cradled a sampaguita and admired its petals; can see that it was beautiful, and it’s warmly felt as my culture. Along with that, Amorsolo’s private feelings; his love for his country, the cheerfulness and peace found in its normal happenings, as well as during its trials and adversity; prove not only mean a whole lot to its Philippine people, but to stand the test of time.

Share your story through the Right Our Story x AYR Collaboration

February 8, 2024 | AAPI Youth Rising is proud to collaborate with the Right Our Story campaign. For October, bullying prevention month, we’re standing up to race-based bullying. Share your 1-min story by emailing us at info@aapiyouthrising.org to be highlighted across our social and Right Our Story (Youth Leadership Institute/California’s Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission). We’ll send you guidelines, instructions, and all the rest. For examples of how these videos could look and feel, you can see Carrie’s, Jane’s, and Kim’s inspirational stories. Your story could offer hope to others who have thought—until now—that they’re alone.

Join Us at White House Initiative on AA and NHPIs Community Engagement Event

February 6, 2024 | Please join the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) on February 28 for a community engagement event in Clark County, Nevada. Attendees can learn more about WHIAANHPI’s priorities and work, receive updates from Biden-Harris Administration officials on various federal programs and resources, and participate in a listening session with members of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

Presenting to Flintridge Preparatory High School BRIDGE

February 6, 2024 | On March 11 from 1:15pm-2:30pm PST, members of AYR will have the opportunity to serve as guest speakers presenting about about our organization to Flintridge Preparatory High School’s B.R.I.D.G.E. (Belonging, Respect, Inclusion, Grounded in Equity), their school’s diversity leadership council. The presentation is scripted and over zoom, so email info@aapiyouthrising.org ASAP if you want to practice your public speaking skills!

1990 Institute’s Teachers Workshop of 2024

February 6, 2024 | AYR is a proud sponsor of the 1990 Institute’s first 2024 teachers workshop, “Asian American Identity: At the Intersection of Perpetual Foreigner and Pop Culture Trendsetter”! This enlightening conversation will examine historical data from the Pew Research Center, explore the nuances of Asian American identity, dissect the influences of labels, look at the visibility and rise of Asian Americans in pop culture, and discuss how bias and appropriation affects the community. This workshop also aims to empower participants to embrace their Asian heritage and unique Asian American identity. Ideal for educators gearing up for AANHPI Heritage month, this workshop seeks to contribute to shaping a more inclusive and diverse cultural narrative. The 1990 Institute is providing a lesson plan that can be used immediately to prepare for AANHPI Heritage Month as a special resource for middle school and high school teachers who register for their workshop in addition to the wealth of resources in the 1990 Institute’s Reference Library. Speakers include Neil Ruiz (Head of New Research Initiatives at Pew Research Center), Ziyao Tian (research associate of race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center), Jeff Yang (author of The Golden Screen: The Movies that Made Asian America and co-author of RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now), and Margaret Yee (education consultant formerly with the Asian Art Museum). Register for the teachers workshop here. We’ll see you there!