Event: 2 Blocks of Art 10/19 – San Francisco

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You may have heard about my 3 day event at Asian Art Museum this weekend (10/19-21) but also, this Friday, 10/19 I’ll be taking part of 2 Blocks of Art at the Bayanihan Center in San Francisco. Right after my live painting and lecture at the museum, I’ll be running over to this event. I’ll probably be there around 4:30PM. This is probably going to be one of my last public events this year where you can buy artwork.

Visit Kularts for more info.

2 Blocks of Art Central Market Art Walk
Friday | October 19 | 4-8PM

Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission Street @ 6th
San Francisco

Artists already signed on:

Balikbayod: A surfboard sharing project promoting education 1st through the love of surfing

Artisans already signed on:

DI&Q
Little Honey Vee

with live chalk art by Paolo Salazar and Basic Lee
weaving demonstration by Holly Calica
and music by Dirty Boots!

EVENT: Introducing Filipino Calligraphy

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When Filipinos think about Baybayin or the handicapped term Alibata, they think of a few things like the writing system that’s no longer used, backwards “mountain people”, the un-Christianized or an annoying thing they have to take in school. The art aspect of Baybayin isn’t really being discussed or thought of. Sure, we have tattoos but is it art if you merely select a generic font from the internet? The act of the tattooist putting the ink on your body is art but is the end product artistic? That’s up to you the individual to decide but I would think that nobody would ever think of using an Arial font for a tattoo. They would opt for some sort of calligraphy most likely.

generic baybayin tattoo

It’s time to introduce Baybayin as an artform. We need to move away from taking shapes from existing material that’s been around for hundreds of years. Baybayin used in art as an element has been around since the 70’s if not earlier but they were straight copies of those references. Paul Morrow has done so much for Baybayin by releasing his fonts over 10 years ago but now have become the “standard”. Artist’s individual styles are now graded against Morrow’s Tagalog Stylized font.

It’s time to introduce Filipino Calligraphy that encompasses all indigenous and future writing systems from the so-called Philippines. Artists play an important if not more important part than academics in the promotion of Baybayin because it’s visual and digestible to the public.

This is a concept I’ll be introducing at my event at the Asian Art Museum October 19-21. I will be writing a famous yet controversial saying from a Filipino hero on canvas 15′ long. After the live art, I’ll be introducing Filipino Calligraphy to an audience of mostly non-Filipino artists, art academics and art lovers with a lecture.

Asian Art Museum
Chong-Moon Lee Center
for Asian Art & Culture
www.asianart.org

200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.581.3500
F 415.581.4700

Baybayin and The Cybercrime Law

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By now you should know about the Philippine Cybercrime Law shotgun approach to stop online “crime”. Read about it here. While the act has some good basic things to protect against child pornography, spam and etc but most of it is vague and may lead to jail time for liking a supposed libel Facebook post. I’m not gonna go into all of the bad possibilities but I’ll talk about something deeply personal and how this relates to the work we as Baybayin advocates do.

If we criticize certain people in big business and the government about their attempts to destroy indigenous culture, we can now be charged with libel and punished. Regardless of our regional sentiments, all citizens of the Philippines should stand up to this new freedom stifling “cybercrime law”.

– Norman de los Santos

You may think that this law can’t affect Baybayin but it does because Baybayin is political and freedom of expression. Baybayin was at the forefront of our fight for freedom from the Spanish. Th Ka sign has become synonymous with Kalayaan (freedom). Everyone from rebel leftists to the Philippine military uses it.

One of the reasons Baybayin almost became instinct was because of politics. Current efforts to “revive” it is politics and with any political discussion come debate and criticism that can now be deemed libel.

Sure, it’s difficult to prove malicious intent, a key ingredient of any libel suite but anyone with money and a lawyer can force the supposed lawbreaker into an expensive and time consuming legal battle if they can afford a lawyer. This cybercrime law empowers those with power to harras those with little power.

Some of you may remember the Ticao stone news from last year where the Baybayin community from the US and Canada questioned if the stone was really ancient or not. After an article came out on GMA News, I wrote this piece as a response to UP Anthropology professors.

Could Barry be in trouble for his comments to the professors?

Hell, this whole post could land me in jail!

Ray Haguisan could be sued for libel for calling out a corporation for reposting a photo of an incorrect Baybayin shirt with stolen fonts from my website where I call out Kultura?

Mike Pangilinan calls out politician from Pampanga who use Tagalog. Can he get into legal issues for his criticisms?

Criticizing a company or government body for incorrectly using Baybayin could get you a lawsuit as I wrote about the Department of Budget and Management.

This law turns critics into criminals.

I’m not even going to get into the potential artstic limitations….

This also greatly affects the Baybyain National Script Act bill. This will be put on the back burner until this Cyberbullshit is taken care of.

Since I’m an American citizen, I should be untouchable right? Don’t know with the law written so vaguely even Mark Zuckerberg could be a criminal because he runs Facebook that’s the vehicle for committing these “crimes”. If I go home to the Philippines can I be arrested?

I’m supposed to be getting my Philippine citizenship so that I can be a dual but with this issue, I don’t know now. I’ll have to wait it out.

On a personal note, I took part of the protest and put up an image on the homepage but I’m saddened that it seems like there aren’t many pissed off Filams. The weird thing is that many of the older generation came to America due to the Marcos martial law. I’ve heard so many stories how bad it was. I think there could be a digital divide where that generation doesn’t understand the dynamics of the internet or they are just totally over the Philippines where they just don’t give a shit because they were scared for life. So I can understand that generation as to why they are silent on the issue.

What baffles me is the younger generation of Filams and Filam groups who are relatively silent on the issue. October is Filipino American month, now is a perfect time to talk about this issue. Is it because it doesn’t affect them? Are they wanting to stay in good standing with the local Philippine Consulate?

BTW, I’m just basing thing on what I’ve seen on Facebook. There were more posts about Jessica Sanchez on American Idol rather than Cyber-Martial Law and the loss of freedom.

I only write Baybayin

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This past Saturday, I had an event to commemorate the Marcos Martial Law. I was tasked to create something meaningful in Baybayin. I wrote out the word Kapayapaan meaning Peace in Tagalog. The rest of the text would be from a song Kapayapaan by Philippine reggae band, Tropical Depression.

As I was writing it out on the public sidewalk, people would ask what it said. I would stop and tell them. That occurred a few times so I decided to write the meaning. As you can see its totally missed writing some of the A vowels.
image

It took me a while to notice it and when I did, I asked myself why did make the mistake again? It happened to me 2 weeks ago at another event.

Here’s the fixed version

image

I soon realized that I write Baybayin more than the Roman Alphabet. Over the last 15 years, we no longer need to write because of the comforts of technology. The only time I write (non-Baybayin) is when I have to make a quick note on a post-it. I take longer notes on an iPad, I use a word processor to write longer pieces, I email, I text, I Twitter and I Facebook. I rarely write.

Eventually, when we have Baybayin become a font standard in all devices, will this issue happened? I’m sure that other nationalities have come across the same issue where they forget how to write their script but can type it.

EVENT: An Introduction to Kulitan – University of the Philippines

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2012 September 26: This week’s Binalot Talk will be given by Michael Raymon M. Pangilinan. The title of his lecture is “An introduction to Kulitan, the indigenous Kapampangan script.” Binalot Talks is a series of lectures held every Wednesday, lunchtime (11:30pm – 1pm), in the University of the Philippines Archaeological Studies Program (UP-ASP) lecture room (Palma Hall Basement).

8 Pinoy designers who make things look better

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Baybayin design work has come in as #1 on a list of ‘Pinoy designers who make things look better‘ compiled by Brian Tenorio. It’s awesome that someone like Brian knows the value of Baybayin from a design and cultural identity perspective. I must clarify though that Jay Enage is the face of Baybayin Buhayin and John Leyson, CEO of Liquid and Liquid is the man behind the designs.

EVENT: New Traditions – Asian Art Museum 10/19-21

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I’m proud to announce my Filipino Calligraphy event at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum on October 19 to 21, 12-4pm. Joining me with be Japanese calligraphic performer, Aoi Yamaguchi. In the 4 hours, Aoi and I will collaborate on a large piece writing a poem and saying in our own languages, conduct a lecture about our work and a workshop.

The collaboration between Baybayin (pre-Spanish Filipino script) artist Christian Cabuay and calligraphic performer Aoi Yamaguchi demonstrates the history and culture of Japan and the Philippines. Cabuay and Yamaguchi explore the differences and similarities of their art and struggle. By embracing traditions, rituals, and roots, they are pushing the boundaries and creating something anew, integrating international cultural ideas, styles, and forms. Meaning “beginning/origin” in Tagalog and Japanese, Simula and Gen symbolize the artists asserting identity through their calligraphy traditions.

Asian Art Museum
Chong-Moon Lee Center
for Asian Art & Culture
www.asianart.org

200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.581.3500
F 415.581.4700

EVENT: Make Your Own Revolution 9/21-22

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Saturday night 9/22, I’ll be doing Baybayin chalk art as part of “Make Your Own Revolution: Remembering people’s strength in resistance to Martial Law” by Kularts.

Friday & Saturday | September 21-22 | 6-8:30pm

Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission Street @ 6th
San Francisco

Suggested Donation: $5-20

Join Kularts for two evenings of performance inspired by people’s resistance to state violence. Forty years ago, Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law, ushering over two decades of brutal dictatorship, repression, murders (aka “salvaging”), and the subsequent revolution, now known as” People Power Movement.”

Make Your Own Revolution provides a space for the community to commemorate the traumas of martial law and remember the strength of “people power.” Activities include staged readings; live music; participatory sidewalk drawing; and the installation of a bangka, a boat sculpture inspired by indigenous ritual.

Saturday, September 22, 2012: