FHN + Pavia National High School
December 10-13, 2018
Pavia, Iloilo, Philippines

The José Rizal Mural Project was initiated during a visit to the Pavia National High School (PNHS) in 2017 with a promise of returning the following year for a large-scale collaboration between FHN and PNHS students. The project commenced exactly one year later with an orientation featuring a slide show and a lecture.

The mural is a depiction of José Rizal, a Filipino nationalist and polymath who lived a brief life at the tail end of the 19th century as he was executed by the Spanish colonial government for his political influence. He is widely considered one of the greatest heroes of the Philippines.

The project grew organically as thirty students in grades 7 through 10 engaged in improvised techniques, such as creating a large-scale compass tool out of fishing line and a pencil; blending and scumbling using brushes and latex; and stenciling using scrap cardboard and spray paint. And check out the bamboo scaffolding that was assembled for us by a nearby construction crew.