Culture Archives - The Flame

Dec312018 No Comments

2018 in Review

By ANGELA A. CHUA ALISHA DANIELLE M. GREGORIO EVERY YEAR that passes leaves marks on people through countless events, memories, and highlights. 2018 has been a year of change and countless trends, gossip, and challenges from the start all the way to the end. Here is a lineup of some unforgettable moments that 2018 brought that made noise on social media: A ‘once in a blue moon’ phenomenon At the start of the year, the Philippines was able to witness the rare Super Blue Blood Moon: a lunar eclipse, a blue moon, and a supermoon occurring at the same time. This three-in-one moon phenomenon lasted for about an hour and a half and was last seen over 150 years ago. Hence, people were excited and in awe when the momentous event took place. Much-awaited Marvel crossover Many a

Dec292018 No Comments

Thirteen Artists Awards 2018: Reflecting modern realities

Culture

By CHRISTINE JANINE T. CORTEZ EVERY three years, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) selects thirteen local contemporary artists deemed worthy to receive the Thirteen Artists Awards as well as the opportunity to have their works featured for public viewing. This year, the official awardees of the prestigious award are Zeus Bascon, Bea Camacho, Cian Dayrit, Janos Dela Cruz, Carlo Gabuco, Dina Gadia, Guerrero Habulan, Eisa Jocson, Russel Trinidad (alias Doktor Karayom), Raffy Napay, Archie Oclos, Lynyrd Paras, and Shireen Seno. Virtuoso painter and street artist Archie Oclos exhibited seven larger-than-life murals on a canvas affixed on the hallway of Pasilyo Vicente Manansala. The murals, collectively titled Bayang Magiliw, are oil paintings of seven distinct figu...

Dec122018 No Comments

The burden of being a woman of the world

Culture

By DOMINIQUE NATHANIELLE M. MULI IF THERE is anything prominent about President Rodrigo Duterte’s traits, aside from his blatant disregard for human rights, it is his spite for women. By now, it is already clear: holding a high ranking position does not stop him from making sexist remarks. Nikki Luna’s display at 1335Mabini titled This is how to be a woman of the world? is dedicated to sharing sexual harassment stories of women from different parts of the world and how they are still victimized by injustices perpetuated by the same old sexist mentality. Upon entering the all-white exhibit, a full-length mirror with a rusty frame catches all eyes. The president’s infamous statement saying that there are many rape cases in Davao because the city has “many beautiful women” ta

Dec82018 No Comments

Utterly melodious: AB Chorale brings stellar performance in concert

Culture

by THERIZ LIZEL R. SILVANO THE UST Chorus of Arts and Letters (AB Chorale), led by their conductor, Mark Agpasa, once again showcased their talents and celebrated their legacy in Gloria et Exaltatio (Glory and Pride) on Dec. 1 at the UST Museum of Arts and Sciences. The harmonious coordination of the voices of AB Chorale’s members, alumni, and trainees first began to stun the audience when they sang Jubilate Deo, their opening song for the night. The spirited hymn is a song of gathering and joy that calls for tranquility, which the singers performed with vibrant synchronization. It was exquisitely sang with a mixture of dynamic and serene euphony which highlighted the sacred text. It comes as no surprise how these performers won back-to-back championships in Himig Tomasino las

Nov52018 No Comments

What lies beyond ‘Brother Hood’?

Culture

By CHRISTINE JANINE T. CORTEZ TO EXPERIENCE police impunity is a crime, but to endure the same episode twice is a violation of human rights. Award-winning photographer and forerunner of Philippine photojournalism Alex Baluyut debuted his photo book exhibit titled "Brother Hood,” which pertains to the name of the group of policemen belonging and appointed to watch over the corners of Metro Manila, on Oct. 11. In his exhibit, Baluyut condones the inevitable necessity to point out the parallelism between his old photographs and the rampant killings provoked by the administration’s war on illegal drugs. The impressive and poignant exhibit can be found at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). The collection comprises of twenty photographs from the photo book along

Oct12018 No Comments

Art on the streets: Protest art during the martial law anniv

Culture

AMID the unpredictable weather, protest chants were still heard while different artworks illustrating the protesters’ pleas were seen on the streets during the commemoration of the 46th anniversary of the declaration of martial law, afflicting the apathetic more than ever. The dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos was an era of blatant oppression and human rights violations. Unfortunately, up until now, there are still people who are subscribed to the distorted version of what really happened during the martial rule. Today, critics and artists claim that President Rodrigo Duterte is treading the same path as the late dictator. Hence, they set their sails to express their stands in the most eye-catching way. A portrait from University of Santo Tomas (UST) Anakbayan d

Aug302018 1 Comment

Rediscovering culture through Baybayin

Culture

PHILIPPINE CULTURE has undergone monumental changes that have shaped it into what it is today. However, as time passes by, the ways of our ancestors are slowly being forgotten—but this is not the case for young Filipino artist Taipan Lucero. Through his solo exhibit titled “CalligraFilipino I: Baybayin Illumination,” Lucero highlights his advocacy of strengthening the Filipino identity. In this exhibit, he showcases his self-developed Baybayin calligraphy that came to life mostly through acrylic on canvas. Baybayin is one of the country’s pre-colonial writing systems that was used primarily by the Tagalog people. It is among the writing systems in the Philippines that has gone through a resurgence. Hence, more than just sharing his artworks through this exhibit, Lucero hopes to show

Aug152018 No Comments

Learning from literature at the 2018 Philippine Readers and Writers Festival

Culture

By REYANNE LOUISSE AMPONG and DOMINIQUE NATHANIELLE M. MULI THE POWER of literature was once again celebrated in this year’s Philippine Readers and Writers Festival held from Aug. 10 to 12 in Makati. Book lovers, authors, and aspiring writers gathered to participate in forums and panel discussions about the importance of literature in this vastly changing world. Here are some of most engaging discussions from the event. Empowering creatives Participants were given the chance to unleash the artist in them through the use of free art materials during artist and author Abbey Sy’s talk. “Nothing beats what your hands can do compared to machines,” the creative entrepreneur said. Sy shared that she developed her now popular penmanship at an early age as a hobby, which allow

Aug132018 No Comments

A window to different viewpoints

Culture

By ALISHA DANIELLE M. GREGORIO PEOPLE have different responses to their surroundings; they also have varying perspectives on things. Lesley-Anne Cao’s “The hand, the secretary, a landscape” is a fitting example of this. On display from June 2 to Aug. 12 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Cao’s first solo exhibition composed of unique untitled artworks took center stage in a small and dimly-lit gallery. One of the eye-catching pieces was a large projector set up in the middle of the room that flashed a CCTV footage on the wall showing the top of a building. In the video, towering walls with glass windows enclosed a small shrubbery where various plants and branches grew. One could also notice the hints of movement provided by wind and light rain. This certainly leaves the

Aug102018 No Comments

Thrive, not merely survive, this new semester

Culture

By DOMINIQUE NATHANIELLE M. MULI AUGUST RAINS come with the wafting scent of a new semester. Artlet, you better be up on your toes in anticipation of all that’s in store this new academic year! Hardships may be constants in your life by now, but it’s never too late to grab the chance to go further. Here's how you can thrive this semester and ace college life in general: Always be ready to adapt to changes University life is like walking around blindfolded: you are never completely ready for the obstacles you might encounter. But fear not, because you have the power to adapt to any situation. While no one can master this ability in a snap, remember to be flexible in whatever circumstance your program puts you in. One effective way to achieve this is to list down the habits