Making modernity: a look into how Art Deco style permeated Filipino lifestyle

The Art Deco movement traces its birth to France. It began with the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts), held in Paris in 1925. The term “Art Deco” itself is a contraction of this exposition’s title.

While Paris introduced the style to the world as a symbol of luxury and modernity, the movement quickly became a global phenomenon. As Dy noted, major commemorations are currently ongoing in cities known for their Art Deco heritage, from New York to Shanghai and Bombay. However, the Philippine context offers a unique narrative twist: it flourished during the American Colonial Era and the Commonwealth period, arguably dubbed “pistaym” (peace time). These conjunctions in history and eye for modernity prompted a distinctive palette for “Deco Filipino”.

Read more: Movie review: you can’t lose with Quezon—unless you’re not on his side

Art Deco arrived in the Philippines at a crossroads of history. It was a time when Filipinos were asserting a nationalist identity while simultaneously embracing modernity within a Western colonial milieu. The style initially found expression in architecture before filtering down to sculpture, fashion and graphic arts.

A key driver of this cultural import was the Pensionados, a group of Filipino scholars sponsored by the American government to study in the United States. Upon their return, these architects and designers brought with them new winds of tastes and social conventions, facilitating the adoption of Art Deco into local life.

However, the style was not merely copied; it was adapted. Local architects and furniture makers adjusted the Western aesthetic to suit the tropical climate and local materials. As guest curator Rosales pointed out, while Western furniture often featured heavy upholstery, Philippine Art Deco adapted to the heat by utilising cane and local woods. This era represented a “young, confident and very open cosmopolitan country,” eager for independence and excited about the future.

Read more: From Vigan to Dapitan: 9 Filipino heritage houses you need to visit

The exhibition is divided into thematic sections that guide visitors from the grand scale of built heritage to the intimate details of the modern home.

Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a massive “welcome wall” composed of casts of the original bas-reliefs from the Capitol Theater in Escolta. These casts, now in the possession of the National Museum, feature muses of the arts, though interpreted in Filipino and modern contexts of cinema, music and theatre, stylised in the Art Deco manner—shifting away from classical anatomical accuracy to flattened, geometric 2D forms and donning baro’t saya. Dy describes the Capitol Theater as a “match made in heaven” between Art Deco and the rising movie industry during the period, both of which were selling aspirations and ideas of luxury.

Read more: 10 Of The Most Iconic Films That Shaped Philippine Cinema

The architectural section also features scale models of iconic structures, such as the Metropolitan Theater in Metro Manila, the Generoso Villanueva Mansion in Bacolod City and the Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol in Cagayan de Oro City, among others. Meanwhile, the original gate of the Art Deco-styled now-demolished gymnasium of the University of Santo Tomas, which used to be near P Noval Street, stands in a corner of the hall for visitors to admire.

The furniture collection showcases the craftsmanship of the era’s titans. Notable pieces include works by Gonzalo Puyat and Sons, a premier furniture maker of the early 20th century. One standout is a bespoke piece from the Natalia Enriquez house in Sariaya, Quezon, designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro.

Another highlight is a “tester bed” (a bed with a four-poster canopy) from Negros Occidental, which utilises multiple types of wood to create ornate decorative patterns—a technique Rosales explains was used to highlight the natural qualities of the wood in the absence of colour. Visitors can also view a receiving set from the home of architect Tomas Mapua, designed by Mapua himself, which demonstrates the personal application of the style by the era’s leading creators.

Fashion plays a central role in the narrative of modernity. The exhibition displays original 1930s ternos, including those worn by historical figures such as Maria Agoncillo Aguinaldo, the second wife of General Emilio Aguinaldo, and Doña Aurora Quezon, President Manuel Quezon’s wife.

The evolution of the Filipino dress is evident here. The exhibition chronicles the shift from the multi-piece baro’t saya with its tapis and panuelo to the monolithic, structured terno with its iconic butterfly sleeves during the selected period of the exhibition. This transformation mirrored the changing role of women in society, as they gained greater presence and access to education—captured in photos of colegialas who participated in and reigned as Manila Carnival Queens.

The exhibition also features sculptural works by the Italian expatriate Francesco Riccardo Monti, whose influence on Philippine Art Deco and neoclassical sculpture during the American regime was profound. On a smaller scale, the exhibition delights with “hidden treasures” found in private individuals’ bodegas and bauls—from jewellery sketches by the Nakpil family to industrial objects like radios and clocks that brought modernity into the average home.

Read more: Adam Pereyra and Oslog craft a golden heritage with every detail

The Art Deco: Modernity and Design in the Philippines 1925-1950 exhibition is more than a display of antiques; it is a testament to a period when the Philippines was actively participating in a global design conversation. It invites Filipinos to look beyond the surface of their ancestral homes and city streets to recognise the heritage that exists in their midst.

Reflecting on the significance of the era, Antonio Aboitiz, chair of the board of trustees of the National Museum, offered a poignant invitation to the public: “I think it is important to remember this era as maybe something we can take inspiration from... So as we end this afternoon and take a glimpse of the museum's new offering, we invite you to continue to explore and be inspired by this once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the artistic movement that once transformed this world and this country.”

NOW READ

Home tour: Inside Daku Balay, an art deco mansion in Bacolod City with a treasured past

What is Art Deco, and how the century-old design still shapes the modern world

Home tour: an art nouveau-inspired heritage home in Parañaque, Metro Manila