LANDSCAPES OF STRUGGLE: THE IMMERSIVE POWER OF NUNE ALVARADO'S LARGE PAINTINGS

The HeArt of Nune Alvarado opens at Greenbelt 5

- JOHN PAUL DICIEMBRE

Nune Alvarado is a key figure in Philippine social realism, blending art with socio-political critique to highlight the struggles and resilience of marginalized communities. His works, rich in symbolism and powerful imagery, give voice to the oppressed, resonating beyond local borders.

Similar to popular Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, Alvarado's art is both grounded in local (Filipino) realities and carries a broader, universal significance. His large-scale paintings – Pangabuhi, Dagway sa Tapangka, and Kaubay – form a trilogy that examines labor, resilience, and systemic inequalities within Filipino society.

Pangabuhi is a monumental oil painting capturing rural market life in the Philippines, vividly portraying the realities faced by laborers. At 4 by 20 feet, this work emphasizes Alvarado's dedication to illustrating the vastness of daily struggles. The title, Pangabuhi (translated as "means of livelihood"), reflects the socio-economic disparities that define provincial life. The painting critiques the imbalance of labor, poverty, and social inequality, transforming the marketplace into a battlefield for survival. At the center, a man in blue balances a bilao filled with fish—a symbol of rural livelihoods. His tired face, partially obscured in shadow, conveys the toll of work under harsh socio-economic realities.