Tiw-Tiwong: Tales & Turns in the Art of Baguio and the Cordilleras

John Frank Sabado, Benguet Mother and Child, 2023, 130 x 95 cm, Pen and Ink on Paper

Tiw-Tiwong: Tales & Turns in the Art of Baguio and the Cordilleras is a major survey of Baguio-based and Cordilleran art that brings together an extraordinary array of artists from the Philippines. Co-curated by Joyce Toh and Kawayan de Guia, this wide-ranging exhibition showcases the rich and multifaceted artistic traditions of the region, featuring both iconic and pioneering figures alongside a new generation of practitioners, together an extraordinary array of artists from northern Luzon in the Philippines.

Among the celebrated artists are Carlo Villafuerte, Gail Vicente, John Frank Sabado, Kabunyan de Guia, Katrin de Guia, Kawayan de Guia, Leonard Aguinaldo, Nona Garcia, Patricia Perez Eustaquio with Dehon Taguyungon, Perry Mamaril, Rene Aquitania, Rocky Acofo Cajigan, Tommy Hafalla, Wig Tysmans, and two Philippine National Artists, Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera and Kidlat Tahimik. This unique collection highlights the dynamic intersection between tradition and contemporary expression, offering a window into the evolving landscape of Cordilleran culture and identity.

The exhibition is accompanied by the Singapore launch of Tiw-tiwong: An Uncyclopedia to Life, Living, and Art in Baguio, the Cordilleras, and Beyond, a groundbreaking collaborative art book that delves deep into the lived experiences and artistic heritage of Baguio and the Cordilleras. With over 950 entries, the book navigates the complex and often misunderstood aspects of life in the region, exploring topics ranging from the shifting representation of the bul-ul (traditional rice god sculpture), the realities behind dog-eating practices, to the nuances of riding a Dangwa bus. Through a defiant and irreverent lens, Tiw-tiwong serves as an ‘anti-textbook,’ challenging more than a century of colonial portrayals and academic studies of the region.