Weaving Peace and Dreams: Textile Arts of Mindanao

 The Hinabi Project (THP) brings to San Francisco the unique textile art  of the weaving communities of Mindanao Mandaya, Bagobo, Higoanon,  T’boli, B’laan, Yakan, Tausug, Maranao and the Magindanao. Traditional  weaving was circumscribed by ritual and ceremonies of the life-cycle  birth, marriage and death. The fabrics produced were meant to address  these ceremonial needs. Weaving was a contemplative and peaceful  endeavor for the women. Textiles also serve as  peace offerings to resolve community conflicts and uneasy alliances.  With the new demands of political determinism, new ideologies, and consumer technologies, what typically would be a peaceful activity has  been disrupted. Nevertheless, the Indigenous weavers continued their craft  throughout the twist and turns of the country’s political fortunes.  Weaving was and still has been for most, a means for additional income  to an essentially peasant/farmer subsistence economy. Now, they also  struggle between the tenets of traditional weaving customs and the  demands of the local and tourist market while working in social  conditions less conducive to weaving. With this disruption, the  continuity of the indigenous weaving tradition, the passing on of its  heritable designs and technique, and the self-pride and worth of work is  a cause for grave concern.  Through this exhibit, The Hinabi Project hopes to highlight the possibility of evolving newer concepts of design  and work, thereby encourage other designers, weaving artisans, and  scholars to talk about their future direction.