A Lubi brand
Culture. Carefully Crafted.
Beneath the surface of a modern, English-speaking nation lies an extraordinarily rich indigenous culture, producing craft of rare beauty, rooted in centuries of tradition.
A Lubi brand
Culture. Carefully Crafted.
Beneath the surface of a modern, English-speaking nation lies an extraordinarily rich indigenous culture, producing craft of rare beauty, rooted in centuries of tradition.
Our story
During my earlier visits to the Philippines, I tended to see the country as a post-colonial culture — heavily influenced in language and architecture by 300 years of Spanish rule and then deeply Americanised in the 20th century. One of the consequences is that English is incredibly widely spoken, making the Philippines by far the easiest Asian country to explore. I have never understood why it isn't more popular as a destination compared to Thailand, Vietnam or Bali, where language can still be a major barrier if you want to get beyond the tourist centres.
However, as I've learned more about the country I've realised that beneath all this there is an incredibly rich indigenous tribal culture — beautiful in spirit, and producing beautiful craft products steeped in history and tradition.
Sadly, many of these craft traditions are dying out. We've arrived at a time when many are already extinct, and the vast majority of the others are kept alive by a few dozen people over the age of sixty who hold the knowledge and skills but are unable to pass them on to younger generations. Often this isn't because those younger generations don't value their history, it's simply because economic drivers mean they must focus on modern forms of employment.
Artisina's purpose is to make a small but meaningful contribution towards preserving these traditions, so they can live on into the future.
By supporting Artisina, you play an important role in the continued existence of traditional tribal culture and craft in the Philippines. And they deserve it.
Perhaps the only Filipino craft to have attracted significant international attention is the work of Apo Whang-Od, said to be the last practitioner of the ancient Kalinga batok, the hand-tap tattooing tradition. Whang-Od is over 100 years old and has been drawing travellers to experience her work for decades. She was awarded the title of 'National Living Treasure' in 2017. She is one of a tiny handful of practitioners who still practice this art.
The materials
Filipino craft is defined by its materials — natural fibres, shells, grasses and palms, each with its own tradition and its own community of makers.
A very fine fabric made from the fibres of the pineapple plant, often embroidered with stunning traditional designs. Some of the most beautiful piña work has occasionally made it onto high-end fashion catwalks, but its potential is so much wider. Delicate, labour-intensive, and unlike anything else in the textile world.
Fibre from a relative of the banana plant, used in a wide range of textiles, bags, baskets, mats, furniture and clothing. A celebrated example is T'nalak — cloth woven by the women of the T'boli tribe, whose designs come to the weavers in dreams. They are known as the Dreamweavers of T'boli. Only three colours: white, black and red. Each piece is unique.
Fibre from the leaf stalks of the buri palm, used primarily to make hats that were once a significant export, and also bags and accessories. Sadly, Buntal is at risk of extinction: the trees aren't grown commercially, only wild leaves are harvested (and only from trees aged 7–10 years), and most remaining weavers are elderly. The skills are no longer being passed down.
Woven cotton from northern Luzon, used in clothing, homeware and accessories. Traditional weave patterns include binakul, pinilian and suk-suk, each with its own tribal heritage and legend. True farm-to-loom production is increasingly rare, being displaced by commercial cotton yarn. Finding authentic Inabel is a quest worth taking.
A broad family of natural materials used to make baskets, mats, furniture and homewares across the Philippines. Each has its own regional tradition and community of makers. Bulky to export, but far too beautiful to leave behind if we can manage it.
The shell of a bivalve mollusc, historically used instead of glass for windows before glass reached the Philippines. Now widely used to create lampshades, lanterns and Christmas decorations called paroles. It can be dyed in a wide range of colours. Wild stocks have diminished hugely, Artisina will look to support sustainable production so that these beautiful homewares can continue to exist.
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