ABOUT THE WORK

Through his 2012 Abuso Feudal, Mike Adrao fearlessly addresses a core problem of the Philippines. In this charcoal work, Adrao painstakingly depicts a headless woman, her hands folded demurely over her stomach while vines and thorns slither above and around her figure. A man leans back proudly, his crossed legs callously stepping on what would have been the woman's head. The somber black-and-white atmosphere further cements the tragedy of the piece. There is a looming dread over the piece, almost as if a centuries-long burden is summarily dumped into the work. And in a way, it is. The Philippines, a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country, is afflicted with feudal problems even after the system is abolished. Landlords still control the fields and their people, especially in an agricultural country like the Philippines. The farmers of the far-flung areas still contend with unfair wages, impossible quotas, and oppressive systems, forced into unfair living situations. Those who nourish the land get trampled and those who abuse her only grow richer by the day, widening the gap of ever becoming true equals. As the vines creep in to squeeze the life of the woman and as she is rendered faceless and voiceless by those who trample her rights, so too are our farmers. But, as it is, all hope is not lost. Land is life, as people are wont to proclaim, and it is only fitting to give the land to its rightful protectors. Through collective action, this semi-feudal state is going to give out and with it comes the freedom of our farmers, our fisherfolks, and all the marginalized alike. (Hannah Valiente)