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Six | Curator's Notes

GaleriaPaloma.com is honoured to be a part of "Bamboo Whispers: a People Tells Their Story," on exhibit at the Ayala Museum and presented by the Filipinas Heritage Library.

The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the publication of "Bamboo Whispers," an anthology of Mangyan ambahan poetry, published by the Mangyan Heritage Center and in celebration of National Indigenous People's Month.

 

Alongside artworks by the Carl Jung Circle Center, the paintings by Janice Liuson-Young, Carlos, Isabel Echevarria, Inaki Rocha y Echevarria, and Gino Tioseco are inspired by ambahan poetry.

As written by Antoon Postma, anthropologist and Mangyan historian,  in Treasure of Minority (1981): "The ambahan is a literary product and poetic expression of the Southern Mangyans of Mindoro, Philippines. Although there are about seven different ethnic groups living in Mindoro, collectively called the Mangyans, these groups are quite distinct from each other as to language, customs, and way of living. Only the ethnic group living in the south of Mindoro, roughly comprising the areas within the municipalities of Bulalacao (San Pedro), Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, claims the name Mangyan as the descriptive title of their tribe. To stress their point, they might add the epithet: 'Hanunuo' Mangyan, that is, a 'truly, real, genuine' Manygan."  The rhythmic poetry of the ambahan has seven syllables per line (with some exceptions), usually accompanied by a musical instrument, and imparts through allegory life experiences and lessons. These are inscribed on bamboo.

In the coming weeks, we will be publishing a series of capsule articles and interviews with the artists and writers who have participated in this exhibition.

The exhibition runs from 7 October to 25 October 2017.  For inquiries on the artworks available for acquisition, please contact us at info@galeriapaloma.com and +63 917 822 5673.

 

 

Janice Liuson-Young | Ambahan 205

Janice Liuson-Young | Ambahan 27

Inaki Rocha y Echevarria | Ambahan 96

Isabel Echevarria | Ambahan 68

Gino Tioseco | Ambahan 181

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