See the Show!
Welcome to Markings of Remembrance, a collaborative exhibition honoring ancestral lifeways nearly erased by centuries of religious and political oppression of Indigenous peoples in what is now the Philippines. This exhibition is the culmination of months of workshops where the artists researched and shared their family histories, engaged with tattoo practitioners, and studied colonial-era manuscripts and contemporary texts, continuing a long tradition of cultivating collective memory through oral and visual history.
Tattooing in the Philippines is a sacred art with a history spanning thousands of years. Prior to and during Spanish colonization, it flourished among Austronesian cultures, with communities in the Visayas known as "Los Pintados," or "the painted ones," due to their intricate tattoos. These designs are rich in symbolism, reflecting nature, community, family, and achievement. Recent scholarship has deepened our understanding of these traditions, revealing how they intimately connected these themes to the body.
Despite the growing appreciation of body art, colonial influence has cast a long shadow, leading many to view it as taboo to this day. The artists in this exhibition aim to challenge this stigma by exploring this tradition as a means of reconnecting with their heritage and sharing these stories within their community. Through their artwork, they illustrate how these ancient motifs and narrative strategies continue to resonate and inspire contemporary cultural expression.
Artist List:
Kelvin Burzon, Jenny DelFuego, Jamie Guanco, Bryn Jackson, April Knauber, Nasreen Khan, Dino Maglinte