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Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Hello gorgeous!

Recently, I’ve been attending various mall exhibits within my city because…

First they are accessible to my workplace and,

Second, it is always free admission!

LOL

Nothing makes me happy really, and I always make sure I’ll pay the visit because it is always worth it.

And also a good source of content for this blog, as I don’t want it to be a boring one.

So today am sharing you the Muslims of the Philippines: History and Culture Exhibition held at SM Aura Premier. The exhibition was held last June 26 to 30, 2017.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Philippines is an island composed of more than 7,000 islands having hundreds of different cultures and religions. Yes – majority are Christians however, before Christianity arrived in this island the Islamic religions is already from southern part about 800 years ago.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

The world religion preceded the arrival of the other monotheistic religion, Christianity, by two and a half centuries, as both were absorbed into an animist, maritime, archipelagic culture living amidst extreme biodiversity.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

The shared cultural underlay of all Philippine people is least 4,000 years old. Islam (and then Christianity shortly after, in its own way) modified this shared, barangay cultures by introducing religious concepts that made locals feel a sense of belonging to concepts institutionalized over a large part of the world; and concept of hierarchy that stratified what were traditionally egalitarian societies.
This exhibition, “Muslims of the Philippines: History and Culture” designed to travel to schools, malls, corporate headquarters, government offices, and other public spaces – offers a view of history and culture that has made Muslim Filipinos a distinct population within the Philippine nation.
It is an exhibition that challenges stereotypes by close views of exquisite material culture in images and artefacts.

If you are not yet familiar with Muslim Filipino in the Philippines, these people are just like the Malaysian and Indonesian Muslims that you typical saw wearing beautifully colourful clothes. Actually you might mistake them as Filipinos too at the first glance, because we shared similar tradition and culture brought by our Muslims ancestors many years ago.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

These artefact symbolizes the rich Muslim Filipino cultures which are honestly not given more emphasis in the modern culture.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

“Muslims of the Philippines: History and Culture,” more importantly, includes information that have not been part of mainstream discussion in the Philippines. The exhibition adds to the knowledge base, not only about Muslim Filipinos as a unique population segment, but about a kind of culture and history that has persisted through tremendous conflict and challenges.

Muslim Filipinos has been forged in a crucible of fire and have, as a result, become a people from whom the rest of the world, not just the Philippines, can learn richly.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier
The elaborate, triangular flange projecting out of the elevated floor level of the Maranao house, is called the panalong. It is characterized by dense arabesques executed in bas relief on hardwood – a material culture genre known as okir among the Maranao, and ukkil among the Tausug, Sama and Yakan. Okir patterning is very clearly a dearly beloved local borrowing from Middle Eastern Islamic art. However, it is important to note that the sinuous, unending lines are thought by Maranaw artists of the past as either evocative or representative of organic form; notably, the serpent naga of Pre-Islamic Philippines. The panalong are fundamental elements of the large house the Maranao call torogan, which could accommodate wealthy traditional leaders, their families and extended relations. Nearly all beams of the torogan are surfaces for exuberant okir.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier
If the Chinese cultures have Dragons, and Singapore have their Merlion, the Muslim Filipinos have their Sarimanok. The Sarimanok a representation of a mythical fowl is elaborated with polychromatic and dramatically drawn or sculpted feathers. The Maranao again integrate Islamic and modernlayers of their culture in the sarimanok. The organic form of a bird fowl draws from layers of cultural memory when the bird was the favoured evocation of flights into elevated realms. When this mythical figure was a shared motif of transcendence among all Philippine people. Within Islam, the bird motif persisted and was incorporated into Islam-inspired arabesques. In modern Philippines, the sarimanok became a symbol not only of Muslim Philippines, but the entire country.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier
Kampilan is the sword belongs to a type of weapon characterized by a long, single-edged blade that tapers to the hilt and at the tip forms a nearly trapezoidal profile. It is a form of weapon used in the past by a number of Philippine language groups such as Cebuanos and Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) speakers, with lethal effect on their adversaries (it was used in the Battle of Mactan in 1521 that killed Ferdinand Magellan). This particular weapon was most likely made and used by Iranun smith and warrior at least a century and a half ago. Its Muslim owner (for confidentially reason cannot be disclosed its identity) is currently living in Central Mindanao.

Another sword is called Pirah. This blade distinguishing article is the carabao horn pommel at the hilt end, featuring a high cockatoo crest. This sword has Tausug origins. Its smith and owner lived in and originated from the Sulu Archipelago, most likely in Jolo at least 50-years ago.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier
The bamboo xylophone called gabbang is an instrument used by the Tausug and Sama speaking people of the Sulu Archipelago. Solo performers can “speak” to audiences intimately with while playing this instrument. However, it is most associated as producing the musical partner to the Sama signature dance pang-alay, a sinuous performance of body syncopation and fluidity.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier
This is called dabakan – a single-headed drum, with an animal hide membrane and characteristically featuring arabesque patterning on its wood body, and supports the kumintang, the set 8 bossed gongs that have been deeply associated with Islamic Mindanao. The dabakan have conical, hour-glass goblet and tubular form – shaped from a single length of carved-out tree or in other case using the coconut trunks. Its decorative elements firmly place the dabakan within Philippine Muslim tradition, although the drum itself had pre-Islamic origin.

The dabakan can also support the two-stringed lute kudyapi, as well as played by one soloist or a pair of virtuosi. The specimen in this exhibition is of Maranao provenance. It features a restrained decorative sensibility executed in the use of dark tonalities, that was embedded in a kind of high-skilled, expert-controlled multiple layered music making.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier
The Maranao are the Philippines’ true vistuosos of brass casting, and amonh the most remarkable of Filipinos silver and gold inlay. These talam (or presentation trays of food) exhibit the tough formal qualities of elaborate brassworks, the patternings of which are a combination of archaic Southeat Asian forms and Islamic loan forms. The sheer profusion of talam produced in the Maranao cultural area of Lanao del Sur and the consistency of quality casting, indicate a devotion to mastery over a long period of time. That this mastery was offered to ceremonial food and ritual events, gives a strong sense of the significance the Maranao have placed in food at the center of family and community self-regard.

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

Muslims of the Philippines Exhibit at SM Aura Premier

After roaming around the exhibition and speaking with attendants, I realized that I have limited knowledge with Muslims Filipinos, and I am very much thankful that I visited this event. I learned a lot from about its very rich culture.

And you know what?

I am excited to begin my journey to discover and witness more of its rich tradition and culture in the southern part of the Philippines.


What do you think of this cultural exhibition?


xoxo, Blair

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57 comments :

  1. Looks quite similar to Malaysia... hehe but the photographs displayed there looks really nice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lily!

      We shared similar culture. Our Muslim ancestors came from Malaysia and Indonesia :)

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  2. Get to know and understand traditions and culture is a good moral to respect other religions. Really feel so lovely with much of knowledge about Muslim culture of Philippines <3<3<3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Apple :) Understanding different cultures makes us more patience and open minded, and also becomes respectful to everyone.

      Delete
  3. This is a refreshing read! Would love to visit some art or cultural exhibition to get some inspirtation too ^^

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  4. Nice one to learn other culture and nice photos you had! :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you dear! They are so colorful and its hard not to get noticed :)

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  5. Id visit exhibits too if they were free admission hahaha. This looks like a great, educational exhibit. I love learning about other cultures. :)

    Christie's Take on Life. xx

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    Replies
    1. Nothing makes me happier than free admissions! Hahaha High five on that Christie!

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  6. I had no idea there was a significant Muslim population in the Philippines. I love that this exhibit exists. I love those dabakans. They are beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, well most of the Philippine island neighbors are related.

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  7. I love what you are wearing babe! Oh and those artifacts are just so intricate...me like!

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  8. The exhibit is absolutely gorgeous. All the colors and tapestry that are used in the fabrics in baskets are so vibrant.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Saidah. I love them coz they are handcrafted and locally made.

      Delete
  9. So many talented individuals in this exhibit. I think I'd want one of everything!

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  10. Looks interesting, never been to philiphines before, but would love to check out the exhibition!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Come visit the Philippines! It is just less than 3hours flight :)

      Delete
  11. This looks like a cool and interesting exhibition. It's good to know that there are also muslims in Philippines just like her neighboring countries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Philippines is a melting pot of different cultures. We have most of the neighboring cultures here.

      Delete
  12. This is so interesting, I love learning about other cultures and histories. You've inspired me to check out what exhibits are going on in my area right now

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    Replies
    1. That's good Nellwyn. Here in the Philippines, malls are business centers are always hosting different kind of exhibitions, and it is always a hit.

      Delete
  13. I honestly didn't know the Muslim religion was also in Philippines later on preceded Christianity. What an incredible exhibit

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Anosa! Now you know that not all Muslims are came from Middle East :)

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  14. I love learning about different cultures, and this is such a beautifully vibrant exhibition! Thank you for sharing the detailed information on the history as well.

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  15. Oh wow so many vibrant colors! I would love to visit an exhibition like that. It's so amazing!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks deary! This is how we do awareness for other Philippine cultures.

      Delete
  16. Seems a beautiful exhibition, so vibrant. I'm happy that I'm getting to know more and more of Philippines from you!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you dear! Hope you will visit the Philippines soon.

      Delete
  17. I never knew the religious history of the Phillipines. Thank you for the information and sharing the beautiful art of this exhibit. Such beautiful work!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are always welcome here! Keep on reading my blog to know the Philippine cultures and other Asian countries.

      Delete
  18. I didn't know about Muslim Filipinos. Thank you for sharing the information. The exhibit looks amazing. I love the different colors and the culture it exudes.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Cecilia :) Hope you can visit the Philippines soon. You will love it!

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  19. very nice pcs of art. love your outfit there too

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  20. That is such a beautiful exhibit. I love artwork and handicrafts. This one bears a close semblance to Malaysia and India. Cheers!!

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  21. It is through your blog that I realised that there are so many Muslims in the Philippines. They also seem to be culturally rich and steeped in tradition.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yeah they are! They are also one of the friendliest people in the Philippines :D

      Delete
  22. This is really an awesome read, Its awesome to know about the Muslim culture there : Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are always welcome! I am glad that I helped you gained additional information about Muslims people.

      Delete
  23. I have been reading your blog lately and it is never boring! I love reading about cultures and about their traditions so this was an interesting post for sure.

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    Replies
    1. Oh thank you Elena! I try not to be boring, hahaha :D

      Delete
  24. I was unaware the Philippines had a history with the Muslims that predated the Christians by two centuries. I suppose it makes some sense given the islands location but It's interesting I had never heard that before. Looks like it was a marvelous exhibit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you David!

      Because of modernization, this Muslim Filipino culture is starting to become infamous, and the advocacy of this institution is to promote the old culture.
      I find it very inspiring!

      Delete
  25. wah i like the chicken with its wings spread wide open!!! didn't know filipino has sarimanok, this is new to me haha! -Joysofyz

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    Replies
    1. Hahaha yeah, I remember back many years ago. Sarimanok was become a official mythical birth for PH tourism. One TV network in the Philippines even use sarimanok during their opening campaign :) I love it!

      Delete
  26. It seem the Muslim in Philippines has some similarity with Muslim in Malaysia in term of their culture. Impressive story.

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    Replies
    1. I agree. Our ancestors came from Malaysia and Indonesia :)

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  27. Beautiful exhibition indeed. Loved the artifacts and designs on them. Very intricate...

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    1. I am so lucky to visit this exhibition. For me it is very meaningful.

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  28. Such a lovely exhibit - especially on the handicrafts, how absolutely beautiful.

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  29. I think it looks quite though provoking. I have a soft spot for Muslims given recent events. I spent some time in Spain where the Moors rose to the peak of civilization and culture some 1000 years ago.

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    Replies
    1. They have a rich culture and I have so happy to promote them to the world.

      Delete

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