Threads of Tradition
The Art of Yakan Weaving in the Philippines
Widener Lecture Hall
Saturday, Dec. 7 2024, 12:00 pm - 3:30 pm ET
Included with Museum Admission
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Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet fourth-generation Yakan weaver Evelinda Otong-Hamja and hear first-hand how the Yakan people are honoring their Indigenous cultural traditions and stories through weaving while bringing their heritage to a global audience through collaborations with artisanal markets.
As featured in Vogue, the Indigenous Philippine tradition of Yakan weaving is being kept alive by a thriving community of Yakan women from Basilan, an island province in Mindanao, Philippines. Known for their vibrant colors and geometric patterns, Yakan weaves are exquisitely hand-loomed from pineapple (piña) and abaca (Manila hemp) fibers. These textiles hold together a rich and timeless heritage of ancestral stories, ceremonies, and community identity.
Fourth-generation Yakan weaver Evelinda Otong-Hamja will lead a demonstration and talk unraveling this beautiful and invaluable artistic practice at the Penn Museum.
Join us for an artful afternoon of weaving and conversation while sampling traditional Filipino delicacies (while quantities last). Hand-loomed Yakan fabrics will also be available for purchase, for a chance to bring home a piece of this vibrant tradition.
Share your experience on social media #YakanWeavingAtPenn
Two Sessions
| 12–12:30 pm | Weaving demonstration + Q&A with Evelinda Otong-Hamja |
| 2–3:30 pm | Weaving demonstration + cultural talk with Otong-Hamja with a welcome from the Philippine Consulate General in New York |
About the Speaker
Evelinda Otong-Hamja
A fourth-generation Yakan weaver and entrepreneur, Otong-Hamja founded Tuwas Yakan, a collective of Yakan weavers, providing pathways for designers and artists to work directly with their community. At age seven, she learned how to weave, honoring Indigenous Yakan traditions and has now passed this practice on to her own seven-year-old daughter.
This event is organized in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines, and the Office of Philippine Senator Loren Legarda, as part of the Consulate's Philippine Fiber, Fabric, and Textile Promotion Program.
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