ABOUT THE ARTIST

• Haja Amina Appi of Ungos Matata, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi, is recognized as the master mat weaver among the Sama indigenous community of Ungos Matata.

• Born June 25, 1925

• Died April 02, 2013

• Haja Amina Appi became a Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardee in 2004.

• She was respected and recognized for her artistry and contribution to the traditional art of mat-weaving.

• Haja Amina is well-respected for her unique designs, precise edging (tabig), and the fine quality of her sasa and kima-kima weaving.

• Her hands are rough from years of harvesting and stained by dye, yet they remain steady, and her color sense is still sharp.

• She takes pride in others borrowing her mats to learn and replicate her designs.

• Mat weaving is still alive in her family, as all her daughters and granddaughters have embraced the craft.

• Though patient and kind, she insists on perfection, often pointing out flaws in her apprentices' stitching, and is eager to teach other weavers.

• For Haja Amina, the most challenging part of her craft is extracting designs from ethnic memory.

• An instinctive sense of proportion, symmetry, and even asymmetry is essential for her work.

• She is remembered for her artwork called "RAINBOWS" featuring wild pandan leaves and organic dyes arranged in symmetrical, colorful patterns.

 

Why we choose her?

We chose Haja Amina Appi for her remarkable role in preserving the traditional mat weaving of the Sama people. Her intricate designs, blending tradition with modern creativity, make her an inspiring figure who safeguarded a fading craft and passed it on to future generations.