Painting persecution

In the exhibit Dambana at the Altro Mondo Creative Space in Makati City, works of different artists attempt at interpretations and interrogations of concepts of worship, the sacred and even the divine in contemporary society. Works by Frances Abrigo are notable for tackling the 2023 Pura Luka Vega controversy.

His Prosecution of the Rainbows (36 by 24 inches each, 2024) is a series of six acrylic paintings on specialty paper, all depicting the same image of the crucifixion but instead of Jesus Christ, the bearded drag queen is seen on the cross. The panels are in different colors to show the rainbow symbol of the LGBTQ+ community.

The painting series is one of the first few artworks to comment on the attacks, banning and persecution of 34-year-old Pura Luka Vega for her drag performance.

In July 2023, video clips of Vega’s performance went viral in social media channels. In it, the drag queen is seen in a bar dressed as Jesus Christ and performing to an upbeat pop version of “Ama Natin,” or the Lord’s Prayer. Many people deemed it offensive, and the video immediately drew a firestorm of condemnations and even homophobic attacks. Several members of the LGBTQ+ community and some groups even distanced themselves from the incident, fearing that it will be a setback to the struggle to pass the SOGIESC Equality Bill and effectively throwing one of their own under the bus just to conform, many believe, to expectations of heterosexual people.

However, Carlos Hernandez said on X (@CarlosTheFierce), “The SOGIE Equality Bill has been languishing in Congress for [more than] 20 years not because flamboyant gays/drag queens are offending religious people. It remains a worthless piece of paper because for [more than] 20 years, we’ve been allowing ‘religious’ people to treat us like garbage. Enough!”

On 13 July 2023, Vega addressed the controversy, writing on her X account, “I understand that people call my performance blasphemous, offensive or regrettable. However, they shouldn’t tell me how I should practice my faith or how I do my drag. That performance was not for you to begin with. It is my experience and my expression, of having been denied my rights.”

While the authorities in the Catholic church have expressed disapproval, they pointed out that there are matters more deserving of outrage. Many politicians condemned the performance, including Sherwin Gatchalian, JV Ejercito, Joel Villanueva and even Geraldine Roman, herself a transgender woman, who were silent when former President Rodrigo Duterte openly ranted about God being stupid and regularly attacked the Catholic Church.

Several local government units declared Vega persona non grata, including General Santos City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Manila, isolating Vega and preventing her to perform and make a living in other places. Vega was also slapped with several lawsuits for “offending religious feelings,” by religious groups including Hijos del Nazareno-Central, a group of devotees of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo. She was also arrested.

The incident exposed the fragility of LGBTQ+ “acceptance” in the Philippines, deemed as a religious country, affirming that it is only tolerance, one with limitations and restrictions. The LGBTQ+ people have long been looked down upon and marginalized for religious reasons, among others. Many believe that while depictions of religious figures are not new, the backlash for the drag performance is particularly intense because of Vega’s being the queer person. An overwhelming number comments on social media platforms have been homophobic slurs.

The painting series is one of the first few artworks to comment on the attacks, banning and persecution of 34-year-old Pura Luka Vega for her drag performance.

Several artists came to Vega’s defense. Artists have also been accused of “offending religious feelings” in the Philippines. In 2011, visual artist Mideo Cruz sparked outrage for his installation Poleteismo. Cruz served as curator of Dambana.

“Is our faith so rigid and so fragile, that it can be shaken by a drag rendition of Our Lord’s Prayer? There are hundreds, thousands of Filipinos who dress up and perform as Christ every year. That performance of Christ that we are more familiar with is often unsmiling, contemplative, and more often than not being made to suffer: whipped, speared, and literally being nailed to the cross even,” visual artist and filmmaker Kiri Dalena wrote on Facebook on 14 July 2023. “But from what I understand drag is naturally transgressive and this reflected in how Christ was performed by Pura Luka Vega to her own community as captured on video: her Christ was joyful, laughing, dancing and singing his own song while happily encouraging the young crowd to come closer and sing along, have fun. For me, that’s not a blasphemous portrayal of Christ at all, it’s just vastly different from the suffering, silent and unmoving image of Christ that we have been used to.”

Now, Abrigo is adding his voice to criticize a kind of religiosity that is selective and vicious.

“Bilang isang artist, responsibilidad kong ihayag ang mga pangyayari na may malaking epekto sa kasalukuyang lipunan. Noong nabanggit ni Mideo Cruz, curator ng group exhibit, na Dambana ang pamagat at tema ay inisip ko agad na maglahad ng isyu sa tunggalian ng relihiyon at makabagong mga kaisipan at paniniwala (As an artist, it is my responsibility to express issues that have big impacts on current society. When Mideo Cruz, curator of the group exhibit, that the title and theme is Shrine, I immediately thought about tackling the issue of conflicts between religion and new thoughts and beliefs),” shared the 33-year-old artist whose works are personal commentaries on socio-political issues.

He further said, “Naniniwala ako na ang sakripisyo ni Pura Luka Vega upang ipaglaban ang karapatan magpahayag at awareness sa gender equality ay dakila at sagrado para sa mga marginalized na mga kapatid natin na LGBTQIA+. Ang kanyang makasining na pagganap bilang Kristo ay ‘di naiiba sa mga tradisyunal na sinakulo at maraming pelikulang Kristiyano. Ang paghusga at pagpapasakit sa mga taong nagpapahayag ng malaya at nagbabahagi ng mga makabagong ideyang mapagpalaya ay nangyayari na mula pa ng panahon ni Kristo. Nawa’y hindi manalo ang mga saradong utak at mabuhay muli ang mga gising at bukas sa pagbibigay liwanag sa lipunang nandidilim sa kamangmangan. Mabuhay si Pura Luka Vega at ang kanyang simbolismo at mensahe (I believe that Pura Luka Vega’s sacrifice in fighting for the right to express and awareness on gender equality is great and sacred for our marginalized LGBTQIA+ siblings. His artistic portrayal of Christ is not different from those in traditional sinakulo and many Christian movies. The judgment on and persecution of people who expresses freely and imparts modern liberating ideas have been happening since the time of Christ. I hope the close-minded people will not win and those who are awake may revive to bright light to society darkened by ignorance. Long live Pura Luka Vega and her symbolism and message).”

The Pura Luka Vega incident also made clearer the difference between religiosity and living in accordance to a core teaching of Jesus Christ — that of compassion — something emphasized coincidentally by a work in another exhibit that run simultaneously with Dambana in the same venue, Komiko ng Buhay. The works of Neil Arriola Manalo, in acrylic and rubber cutouts on canvasses, depict human characteristics and traits using the komiks style. One painting shows the face of what looks like Jesus Christ with the Filipino word Maunawain, understanding.

Dambana and Komiko ng Buhay are on view from 27 April to 25 May at the Altro Mondo Creative Space at 1159 Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City.