ABOUT THE WORK

The sarimanok is featured heavily in Abdulmari Imao’s oeuvre. The first and so far only Muslim Filipino National Artist, Imao exalts the Indigenous culture of the Philippine south as he incorporates traditional motifs in his work like he does in this 2010 Sarimanok. With broad swathes of colors and thick black outlines, Imao’s Sarimanok is among the artist’s lively depictions of the celestial rooster. He uses curving, definite lines to portray the legendary creature, a mythical bird that finds itself lodged amongst many other Southeast Asian myths and legends, with one such creature including the serpent naga of Malaysia. With this particular Sarimanok, Imao employs brightly captivating colors that command attention with each block of colors. The delicate balance between the vibrant colors and the traditional themes creates an almost seamless melding of native and contemporary. It is a portrayal of the Indigenous Philippine culture that is different from the common illustration of the pastoral Tagalog countryside, setting his works apart from the multiple genre pieces of his time and establishing a truly unique Filipino identity, and acting as a cultural bridge between the region and the country. (Hannah Valiente)