Born in Manila, the Philippines, Roberto Feleo (b. 1954) studied history at University of the Philippines and graduated from Philippine Women’s University with a degree in fine arts. His interest is in the early history of the Philippines and critiques of effects of colonialization on the country. Feleo has participated in international exhibitions such as the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (1999). This work revolves around the historical event of the Basi Revolt in 1807 in which a local rebellion broke out against the Spanish monopoly of ‘basi’ (sugarcane) wine, which is essential for communion in local religious rites. This was one of the revolts, albeit short-lived, against the colonial masters, which was indicative of the toppling of the colonizer in 1898. Resembling an upside down ‘retablo’ (altarpiece), the centre figure is an inverted sugarcane-faced friar, reflecting the Church’s involvement, while a pug-nosed Christ recalls the actions of Filipinos who destroyed or defaced colonial imageries then. At the same time, the marginalized everyday worker and the ‘pinteng’ (a decapitated warrior whose head is on fire), from the Ifugao myth, are included here.
