Provenance: Private Colllection, London, UK

ABOUT THE WORK

Espiritu was a painter and sculptor who was a few years younger than Amorsolo. He also graduated from the UP School of Fine Arts in 1928. He opted for a realistic style which is evident in his rendering of portraits and human figures. His later works featured Filipino subjects which like Amorsolo captured the idyllic interpretation of the Filipino rural life and culture like the dances and cockfights. In this painting two women are inside a nipa hut. They are "bordadoras" or embroiderers. "Bordadoras" usually embroider by hand intricate and elaborate designs on fabrics such as "jusi" and "piña". From the Spanish colonial period up to the present times, some women have been earning their income by working as "bordadoras". Some of them inherited the craft from their mothers or from older female relatives. Here, two women sitting on the floor are working on a design. The hut is rather dark and it can be a challenge to embroider at dusk without any electricity. Their home is their workshop where they can tend to their family and domestic duties and juggle embroidery contracts to supplement their income. These "bordadoras" are a reminder of the quiet strength, resilience, hardwork, and resourcefulness of the Filipina which has helped many families through the centuries overcome war, environmental disasters, and financial challenges.