Maela Liwanag Jose’s tinatik art is a sight to behold. Her work extends to a total of 96 feet.
It’s a tedious accomplishment which took her almost four months to finish.
This is different from Maela’s other works of big tents decorated with Cordillera symbols. This work of art tells the story of the universe –the Earth’s creation, the sun, the milky way ending in the portal called the black hole.
“A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing, including light and other electromagnetic waves, has enough energy to escape it,” Maela said.
As Maela explained, her monumental work of art, is a story of nothingness. “From nothing to nothing.”
Her magnificent work of art is inspired by a play of colors and imagination. Each color is likened to chakras or disks or wheels. These are energy centers of the body.
In bioplasmic healing, the chakras are healing centers or spinning energy centers that are associated with nerve bundles and major organs. Healers and yogists can better explain this. She connects each color to a Sanskrit hand gesture or “mudra” which has spiritual significance.
Maela’s work is full of meaning. The interpretation depends on you. The longer you look at it, the more it spells magic.
Best to see Maela’s exhibit at the Baguio Museum. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Her exhibit ends on the second week of March, so don’t miss this opportunity. (Photos by Nash de Guia and Germayne Magday) – Stella Maria L. de Guia
