FACTS:

Artist Name: Edgar Talusan Fernandez
Born: Manila 1955
School: Philippine Women's University (Advertising)
Awards: Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award (1990); Parangal Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan from the City of Manila (2006)

Kinupot is a 1977 work by Edgar Talusan Fernandez derived from the words “kinuha” (to take) and “sinupot” (to bag). Created during the Martial Law era, the work references desaparesidos (missing persons) while depicting restraint felt during a period of media censorship. Edgar Talusan Fernandez (b. 1955) is a social realist painter whose works often portray the country’s sociopolitical issues. Known for his political activism, he is a founding member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines and a co-founder of activist group Kaisahan.

In the form of a mangled cloth covering what appears as body parts, this sculpture is a tribute to those who fell victim to the disappearances and the deaths of over thousands of Filipinos. With material that is likened to fabric, this mirrors the act of covering — hiding what must not be shown and is left unknown. Through this, what is underneath the surface remains anonymous — nameless victims abandoned in the dark disappearing mysteriously, identities kept as incomprehensible as the efforts to uncover truths difficult to face.

Sources:

https://ateneoartgallery.com/newsroom/art-for-rights
https://cartellino.com/features/2022/04/23/Remembering-and-Retrieving-in-Ateneo-Art-Gallerys-Ligalig
https://artfacts.net/artist/edgar-talusan-fernandez/195913

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