LANG

DULAY

National living treasure

t'NALAK MASTER weaver

Biography

T'boli dream weaver Lang Dulay, also known as Lang Sapiaen Dulay, was from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, Philippines. Lang Dulay, who was born on August 3rd, 1928, in the T'boli community's mountains, rose to prominence in the world of traditional weaving, especially the intricate and vibrant T'nalak fabric.

Lang Dulay learned the craft of weaving from her mother and grandmother, both accomplished weavers while growing up in a T'boli community. When she was a young girl, she used to assist her mother in weaving on a backstrap loom by assisting to color the threads after watching her spin cotton.

Despite not having received any official schooling, Lang Dulay was a good observer and student who effortlessly grasped the customary weaving patterns and methods of her people. She ultimately attained mastery in weaving and became renowned for her ability to produce elaborate motifs and designs on T'nalak textiles.

In T'boli culture, weaving serves as a way to express one's identity and culture in addition to providing a means of subsistence. The T'boli people's traditional fabric, t'nalak, is thought to be a sacred material that binds the living to their ancestors and spirits. Ikat dyeing, which includes tying and dying the threads before weaving, is how the elaborate patterns on the T'nalak clothes are made.

one of the few T'boli weavers still using conventional techniques for making T'nalak was Lang Dulay. She was renowned for her skill in combining a combination of natural dyes and complicated knotting techniques to produce intricate and lovely patterns on the fabric. Her work was widely prized by collectors and aficionados, and the Filipino government designated her as a National Living Treasure in 1998.

Lang Dulay maintained her modesty and commitment to her profession despite her renown and acknowledgment. She kept on weaving and producing complicated, lovely, and significant designs. In an interview with a Philippine newspaper, she once said, "I don't think about money. I just want to preserve our culture and the T'nalak."

In addition to her weaving, Lang Dulay made other contributions to the upkeep of T'boli culture and customs. She also mentored younger weavers, passing on her expertise to the following generation. Despite industrialization and globalization, she thought it was crucial to preserve traditional ways of life.

Lang Dulay passed away in 2015 at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy that still inspires and has an impact on the traditional weaving community. Her work has been displayed at several exhibitions and institutions all around the world, and publications and documentaries have documented her life.

The legacy of Lang Dulay's life and work serves as a poignant reminder of the value of conserving traditional arts and cultures as well as the ability of art to unite people from different eras and places. The T'nalak, she once remarked, "is our identity, and we must never forget it," serving as a reminder of who we are and where we've come from.

Works

Submitted by:

NEIL BRYAN V. REAL

12-STEM CAMPOS