Salaknib

Silvino Dulnuan | Salaknib (Protect)

Oil and Acrylic on Canvas

43" x 33" (framed)

2022

The artwork is all about the protection of identity and culture in which reflects heritage and the rich culture of our country. The protection of our roots, co-relate balance of human and nature.

The unity and struggle between modernity and heritage recur as subjects in Silvino Dulnuan’s visual projects. Although he is reared and raised in the Baguio Metropolis, he strives to retrace the steps back to his family’s roots in Ifugao. The artist values heritage above everything else, especially during the time where everything seems so connected yet distanced and estranging. He believes that artistic and cultural materials could serve as bridges that achieve to rekindle and restore connections. The process of remembering begets self-introspection. As the artist looks inward, what is I and mine, becomes ours and we. The thematic surrounding the artist’s visual corpus reflects the Cordilleran idea of Muyong, a traditional concept of forest management aimed towards sustainability. This symbiotic transaction between the natural world and living’s experiences reveals the artist’s introspections – one feet is planted firmly on tradition and culture while the other feet lunges forward. It is through this balance that discovery and rediscovery is achieved. Beyond this, the artist believes in the need for apotheosis. Echoing the tales of the Mumbakis, only through the retracing of roots can man redeem his once divine status. And the roots are embedded on his skin, passed through wisdom and words, resonating in harmony with the mountains, rivers, and trees, anticipating exploration.