As a child, visual artist Derek Tumala, one of the 2024 CCP Thirteen Artists Award recipients, has always been curious about the world around him. This innate curiosity eventually led him to pursue art as a career.

During his formative years, the artist often found himself reading through his family’s encyclopedia collection, a habit that sparked his interest in the connections between the natural world, geography, and world history. He eventually entered art school, where he learned the fundamental principles of art-making and began to merge these with his interest for science and nature.

After graduating, Tumala discovered a much broader spectrum of creative expression beyond traditional media. This exploration became the foundation of his artistic practice. Among the many art movements available to contemporary artists, Tumala gravitates toward media art practices that focus on research and the interplay between art and ecology. He engages in art that is experimental, queer, and challenges materiality.

“I taught myself about emerging technologies and familiarized myself with contemporary possibilities. I expanded my art practice by traveling to different places, researching and working in different kinds of art spaces — from independent, artist-initiated to art institutions, museums, and commercial galleries,” shared Tumala.

Throughout his creative journey, Tumala has drawn consistent inspiration from everyday life. He finds meaning in both the ordinary and the extraordinary, whether it is reading a book, watching a film, traveling, visiting museums, or simply observing the world around him.

Even in moments others might consider dull, Tumala uncovers sources of inspiration — from the surreal such as falling in love or kissing a stranger, to the abstract like doing nothing or just being alone. For artists like him, anything can be a muse.

His unwavering commitment to the artist’s path stems from a firm belief in the role of art as a vehicle for truth.

“Our practice serves as a model on how to live and articulate what life or living is all about,” related Tumala.

Contributing to society’s psyche

As an artist, Tumala aspires to be seen and heard through his work. His goal is to create art and share it with others. If it is able to contribute to society’s collective psyche, he considers it a personal success.

For the Thirteen Artists Awards exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines this October, Tumala prepared a piece centered on the theme of “loss and damage.” The work stems from his recent research on the climate crisis and its slow but steady impact. He also hopes to create a dialogue with the museum’s collection.