In the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art, this course provides an exciting platform for students to explore the intersection between visual culture,material culture, commodity, ethnicity, and the global world in the medium of drawing. This course seeks to push boundaries, break free from conventions, and delve into the uncharted territories of advanced drawing techniques while critically engaging with diverse cultural context, materials, and artistic traditions in Southeast Asia (specifically The Philippines). Exploring various drawing materials, techniques, and aesthetics, this course will embark on a captivating weaving tradition, weaving concepts, and patterns of an archipelagic Asian region by examining visual traditions, narratives, and techniques that shape its vibrant regions, peoples, and objects. Through a series of dynamic projects, hands-on practice, cultural immersion, individualized guidance, and critical analysis, students will transform weavings into drawings and vice versa to explore the outer edges of their artistic expressions to enhance their drawing skills. The course also invites students to reimagine what drawing is in an expanded field. We will be sharing personal, familial, and cultural stories and experiences that influenced who we are and what we are making - then turning it into an art form that visualizes our struggles, intimacy, dreams, connections, and survival.
             
We will ask questions such as:

•  What kind of drawing approaches can we use to break free from institutional expectations?
•  How can we bridge the gap between exploration and explanation?
•  How can we transform our personal and cultural self into objects and art forms?
•  What is survival?
•  How can we better understand labor, exploitation, colonialism,  ethnicity, and production in the perspective of the ‘other’?

Elective

“The Spanish conquistador called the natives of the Visayas, the first locals they encountered,
pintados (painted people) because their bodies conveyed zigzags, diamonds, circles, lines, and other
geometric configurations. They appeared to be dressed in a kind of handsome armor engraved with
very fine work, a dress so esteemed by them they take it for their proudest attire…By their own
resplendence, tattoos project a sense of heightened physical beauty, though they’re worth much more than that. Never just skin-deep, they reflect the Filipino soul.”
-Who is the Pintados, Anita Feleo

The Philippines is a country full of diverse artistic traditions. This course will focus on the history
and practices of tattooing and weaving through the lens of drawing. These traditional practices are
important art forms that have survived long waves of colonization and global trends. By using
drawing as a medium that allows for close investigation and different methods of inquiry, students
will learn the drawing techniques involved in historical practices of tattooing and weaving.
This immersive travel abroad course is designed to provide RISD students with a rich understanding
of Filipino arts, culture, and traditions through tattoos and mat weaving– both a reflection of the
nation’s rich history, beliefs, and a testament to the resilience of indigenous tribes who continue to
pass down these traditions today. Students will travel to three regions: Manila, The Cordillera, and
Cebu Province. Through a combination of museum/gallery visits, cultural site visits, interviews
with locals, workshops, hands-on learning mat weaving techniques, students will gain insights into
the vibrant patterns of skeins, mats, and tattoos that represent some of the artistic traditions in the
Philippines.

Students must complete an application through RISD Global to be added to this course. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required, good conduct standing, and permission of the instructor. GPA, Student Conduct Standing, and standing with Equity and Compliance will be verified and may preclude a student from participation, either before or during the term. Most courses are open to first year students with approval from the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies.

Elective

“The Spanish conquistador called the natives of the Visayas, the first locals they encountered,
pintados (painted people) because their bodies conveyed zigzags, diamonds, circles, lines, and other
geometric configurations. They appeared to be dressed in a kind of handsome armor engraved with
very fine work, a dress so esteemed by them they take it for their proudest attire…By their own
resplendence, tattoos project a sense of heightened physical beauty, though they’re worth much more than that. Never just skin-deep, they reflect the Filipino soul.”
-Who is the Pintados, Anita Feleo

The Philippines is a country full of diverse artistic traditions. This course will focus on the history
and practices of tattooing and weaving through the lens of drawing. These traditional practices are
important art forms that have survived long waves of colonization and global trends. By using
drawing as a medium that allows for close investigation and different methods of inquiry, students
will learn the drawing techniques involved in historical practices of tattooing and weaving.
This immersive travel abroad course is designed to provide RISD students with a rich understanding
of Filipino arts, culture, and traditions through tattoos and mat weaving– both a reflection of the
nation’s rich history, beliefs, and a testament to the resilience of indigenous tribes who continue to
pass down these traditions today. Students will travel to three regions: Manila, The Cordillera, and
Cebu Province. Through a combination of museum/gallery visits, cultural site visits, interviews
with locals, workshops, hands-on learning mat weaving techniques, students will gain insights into
the vibrant patterns of skeins, mats, and tattoos that represent some of the artistic traditions in the
Philippines.

Students must complete an application through RISD Global to be added to this course. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required, good conduct standing, and permission of the instructor. GPA, Student Conduct Standing, and standing with Equity and Compliance will be verified and may preclude a student from participation, either before or during the term. Most courses are open to first year students with approval from the Dean of Experimental and Foundation Studies.

Elective