Visual artist Derek Tumala, one of the 2024 CCP Thirteen Artists Awardees, traces his artistic journey back to his childhood curiosity — a habit of reading encyclopedias that grew into a fascination with nature, geography, and history.
That early interest eventually merged with formal training in art school, where Tumala began blending science and ecology with creative expression. Over the years, his work has expanded beyond traditional media to include experimental and technology-driven practices.
“I taught myself about emerging technologies and familiarized myself with contemporary possibilities,” Tumala said. “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.”
Tumala draws inspiration from both ordinary and extraordinary moments — whether reading, traveling, or observing daily life, as well as falling in love or embracing solitude. “Our practice serves as a model on how to live and articulate what life or living is all about,” he said.
For the upcoming Thirteen Artists Awards exhibition at the National Museum of the Philippines this October, Tumala is preparing a two-channel video on “loss and damage.” The work draws on research into endangered animals in the Philippines and reflects on what he calls the “vanishing practices” of artmaking under pressures of capitalism, politics and technology.
He is considering the title Vanishing Tribes, presenting both animals and artists as “endangered.”
Criticism, he said, remains a constant part of the process. “Criticism can either be a stab or a prick. In the end, you fight for what you believe in with a nudge. Don’t kill, persevere.”
Despite challenges, Tumala urges young artists to embrace uncertainty and persist in their craft. “Enjoy life, work hard, be persistent, focus, and believe in yourself.”
Now in its 55th year, the CCP Thirteen Artists Awards recognizes visual artists under 40 who “restructure, restrengthen, and renew artmaking and art thinking that lend viability to Philippine art.”
This year, the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division received 82 nominations nationwide. After deliberations, the committee selected 13 honorees: Catalina Africa, Denver Garza, Russ Ligtas, Ella Mendoza, Henrielle Baltazar Pagkaliwangan, Issay Rodriguez, Luis Antonio Santos, Joshua Serafin, Jel Suarez, Tekla Tamoria, Derek Tumala, Vien Valencia, and Liv Vinluan.
The exhibition will open in October at the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila.
