Visual artist and Agusan Manobo Carlito Camahalan Amalla will impart the tradition and innovation of their tribe’s embroidery in a free public discussion entitled Suyam Tu Agusan Manobo on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at the Manila Clock Tower Museum.
Amalla will walk the participants into the rich heritage of suyam, a traditional embroidery style characterized by various geometrical designs. The session will touch on the artistic and historical value of the embroidery in light of colonization and urbanization, as well as the commercialization of indigenous traditions.
The indigenous advocate will expound on the history interwoven within the fabric. He will discuss how the textile has become an extension of the body and a form of universal art grounded on the rituals, unity, and everyday life of the ethnic group.
The innovator will unravel the creative process behind suyam, the role of pen and ink illustrations for its further enhancement, and its developments with the aid of modern methodologies and equipment.
In an examination of craftsmanship, he will delve into the prevalent design motif and patterns and their corresponding meanings. He will spotlight the social implications of the ensembles and their intricate beadworks in relation to power and beauty.
The presentation will also highlight the role of women weavers in keeping suyam alive as a local cultural expression and native knowledge.
Amalla is a performer, puppeteer, dancer, chanter, musician, ceramist, and researcher. The polymath has participated in exhibitions in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the USA. He is the founder and leader of the Agusan Artists Association in Butuan City and the Balangay Artists Association in Manila.
In 2023, he was invited by the People’s Republic of China to represent Mindanao at the Silk Roads Artists’ Rendezvous-China Tour for Foreign Artists, a residency program in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in China. He produced three acrylic paintings donated to the China International Cultural Association.
Amalla holds a bachelor in Fine Arts with a major in sculpture and a master’s degree in Art History, both from the University of the Philippines (UP).
His Agusan Manobo embroidery art thesis, paintings, and puppetry in Sinuyaman: Awit ni Baylan were part of the Mindanao: Cartography of History, Identity, and Representation presented at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in 2019.
He is currently an assistant professor for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Culture-Based Art of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) likewise named him as Caraga Region’s Most Outstanding Volunteer (Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award Individual Category) and Regional Nominee to the Search for Outstanding Volunteers (SOV) 2023.
Recently, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) also granted him the Creative Caraga Award for his exceptional contributions to the creative industries in the region.
Suyam Tu Agusan Manobo is in line with WOVEN, an ongoing show which features his works, in addition to fashion storyteller Norman Penaflorida together with visual artist Jun Alfon.
The event was organized by the City of Manila, the Department of Tourism, Culture, and Arts of Manila (DTCAM), and the Manila Clock Tower Museum.
The talk is free and open to the public and will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2024, 2 p.m. at the Manila Clock Tower Museum.
