Abstract:
As an emerging practitioner of contemporary art and having had a few years of institutional learning, I have had the opportunity to develop my position on racial politics and consequently a decolonized methodology that influence my practice. As a migrant person of colour in the context of a country with its own colonial history of Euro-western dominance, I have been able to explore the complexities of the colonial power struggles and racial discourse, discovering that the intricacies of the subject is indeed very complex and one that requires constant study and vigilance. In fact, in the conclusion of my previous paper, I was only able to state that research into the subject can only be a continuing pursuit as society itself and the relationship between different peoples continue to develop and change in the course of time. A strong consequence of this developing methodology for my practice is my own voyage of rediscovery and decolonization. Having recently been cast into diaspora, it is only now that I recognise my own internalized colonization and discriminatory racial attitudes. As a result, I have ventured into a rejection of clearly identifiable colonial influences because, truth be told, the Filipino identity as a nation is more Spanish Catholic and Hollywood American influence than it is based on pre-contact Philippine culture. And the bigger struggle connected to this is the lack of resource from a culture and way of life that has been effectively eradicated by almost 400 years of colonial rule from various nations. Connected to this rejection of colonial influences is the rejection of Euro-western normativity per se. This is mainly a consequence of the process of decolonization, that in the process of rejecting foreign influences on my culture, I have to likewise confront and reject the elevation of the western standard as the norm or worse yet the ideal that all people have to strive to mimic or live by. Quoting Tunisian decolonization Activist Albert Memmi, Waziyatawin Angela Wilson and Michael Yellow Bird mentioned that "In order for the colonizer to be the complete master, it is not enough for him to be so in actual fact, he must also believe in its legitimacy. In order for the legitimacy to be complete, it is not enough for the colonized to be a slave, he must also accept his role." (Wilson & Yellow Bird, 2005) So it is therefore necessary for me to be divorced from this elevation of the western norm in order to truly and honestly explore my own decolonization. These concepts are the main subjects that influenced the direction of this research paper. At the onset of the project, I wanted to investigate the exotification of works based on indigenous or precolonial cultures as primitive or "tribal" art. From the point of view of the person of colour, the need for their works or expressions of their culture to be categorized as indigenous, tribal or primitive in the context of the wider contemporary art circle is a form of segregation, that these works should be considered as unequal, possibly even inferior, to works that conform to western canons of art. However, initial explorations into this direction seemed too limited to the context of the art world and, while consistent to my politics and methodology of decolonisation, as such fails to have an impact that reaches wider into society in general. To me, this seems limited and self-serving and lacks the gravitas of what I have long considered integral to my developing practice as a contemporary artist with a growing advocacy towards the promotion of racial equality. As a result, the development of the work evolved into creating a body of work consistent to the canons of contemporary art while remaining undeniable expressions of my cultural heritage, particularly that of an indigenous or decolonized perspective of Philippine culture. This subtle balance between contemporary form and indigenous cultural expression should be evident in both form and narrative. As a personal benchmark, I look to my earlier work entitled "Eat My Rice" which I feel has achieved a certain degree of resolution and success in balancing contemporary form with an indigenous cultural narrative. It involved the consumption of quintessential Filipino food in the traditional manner of using hands as a platform to inspire discourse in racial power dynamics, the colonial demonization of non-western cultures and respectful cross-cultural exchange in a contemporary context. The use of food as a medium for relational aesthetic together with the incorporation of social commentary elevated the work of cultural expression beyond just a mere act of self-exotification and showcasing of indigenous culture. "Eat My Rice" achieved a certain degree of creative finesse as well as social relevance consistent to other practicing artists of colour. It is with this in mind that I have determined the qualities of my research project for the year and indeed for the future of my developing practice. To be honest to my cultural identity and to my politics, my work should fulfill the following conditions: 1. The form of the work should be comparable to those of other art practitioners, familiar to the wider circle of contemporary art and not merely belonging to a "sub category" of indigenous or ethnic art. 2. The work should be identifiably based on a unique aspect of Philippine culture. 3. The narrative should allow the work to inspire racial discourse at a multi-cultural level.