WORKS

Take a look at Magdalena Gamayo's best works.

An abel cloth must last centuries of usage for the master weaver, therefore, Magdalena Gamayo highlights the importance of picking resilient threads. Her designs are the most complex, and she may use up to five different colors in them. Her compositions have continuously displayed patterns as delicate as they are vibrant because of her high and precise thread count. Her 80-year association with the abel ensures a comprehensive and unique variety of abel weaving techniques and designs. Magdalena Gamayo assures that her creations will never lack the skill, sturdiness, or passion that has elevated her talent into a national living treasure, regardless of her chosen technique or design.

Gamayo’s ability to duplicate designs she’s only seen once displays her skill and competence. Her binakol, or woven cloth, is still praised and admired for its high thread count and consistent weaving.

BINAKOL & INURITAN (GEOMETRIC DESIGN)

Binakol (Op Art of the Philippines - a form of abstract art that gives an illusion of movement): These patterns are ancience, and are dizzying on purpose. It is traditionally made for blankets by the Itneg tribe from Northern Luzon. They believed that this dizzying design would confuse and distract the evil spirits that hovered overhead and preyed on sleeping souls. The art of weaving Binakol has also been dwindling in the country; efforts made by modern designers to bring the art back from the brink of extinction.
This is a version of the popular abel weave, also known as binakel, binakael, or binakul (Ilocano for "twill"). Its design is made up of interwoven geometric patterns woven on pedal looms, creating an optical illusion despite its flat surface. The psychedelic pattern resembles sea waves and serves to ward off evil spirits by confounding them.

KUSIKOS (SPIRAL FORMS)

Kusikos is a style of weaving that creates a spiral form similar to oranges.

SINAN-SABONG (FLOWERS)

Sinan-sabong is the most challenging weave design that usually shows a pattern that resembles a string of flower called inubon a sabong.

Inubon a Sabong is a design created by Magdalena Gamayo with a unique and difficult technique called “pinilian”. This a also the design that made Magdalena Gamayo nominated and be one of the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan awardees

SINAN BOLA-BOLA

A type weave pattern that consists of ball like shapes.

Works: Current Exhibitions

OTHER TEXTILE DESIGNS OF MAGDALENA GAMAYO

Works: Text

Works: Current Exhibitions

SINUKITAN

Sinukitan is the process of making brocade or elevated patterns by inserting supplemental weft threads in a discontinuous manner into the woven material. Sinukitan ("an item into which something was placed") is the name given to the textile created using this technique.
It comes from the Iloko word "sukit," which refers to a tool used to pick or insert something. When it comes to abel-Iloko, sinukitan refers to the process of adding supplemental weft threads in a discontinuous manner into the woven textile to create brocade or elevated patterns.