Provenance:
Tin-aw Art Gallery, Makati City

Exhibited: :
Tin-aw Art Gallery, Crux Section, Makati City,
September 16 - October 7, 2017

ABOUT THE WORK

Antipas “Biboy” Delotavo has committed his art to the unmasking of social injustices in contemporary society. Associated with prominent social realists who exposed the atrocities of Martial Law, Delotavo aims to enlighten every Filipino on the inhumane conditions experienced by the oppressed and the impoverished. In this piece, Delotavo depicts the common people – his dominant subject in his four-decade career as a prolific artist. Surrounded by characters who wander aimlessly, the central figure stands lost in thought, with flagellation marks on his back. Flagellation is a traditional practice observed during the Holy Week and one of the most intense forms of penitence among Filipino Catholics. Although it is strongly discouraged by the Catholic Church due to its extremity, devotees who continue to immerse themselves in it believe that it is a way to cleanse one’s soul of sins and grant wishes. Suko sa Tadhana explores the desperate pleas of an individual left with no choice but to surrender his circumstances and existence to a predetermined end. Amid the masquerade of grandeur and progress symbolized by the buildings are the visages of despair and adversity. When asked by Global Voices regarding his themes, Delotavo said: “Most great art emanates from [the] pleasant positive spirit which is uplifting that inspires it. My art seems to contradict it. Social burden initiates it, and I seek relief by painting it. I’m not sure if it’s [an] inspiration. I think it’s more of a responsibility as a social being with [a] conscience.”