Karma Gadjali Amilbangsa
Tausug people
Born 1976, The Philippines
Ruhina Rajik Muhaimer
Tausug people
Born 1994, The Philippines

Live and work in Kasamalan, Maimbung, Sulu Province, The Philippines

Karma Gadjali Amilbangsa and her daughter Ruhina Rajik Muhaimer make the refined pis syabit textiles of the Tausug people, featuring intricate geometric patterns that follow principles of symmetry. Pis syabit — ‘pis’ refers to the patterns, and ‘syabit’ to the hook or tapestry technique used to create them — are usually made on a backstrap loom from cotton, silk or polyester. Motifs are passed between mothers and daughters, with designs derived from nature and daily life, including fish, houses, jackfruit and dragonflies. Customarily worn by Tausug men as a head cloth, they are representative of the mingling of cultures, religions and trade in the Mindanao region, with elements of Islamic belief combined with Hindu and Buddhist influences.

Ruhina and Karma are associated with the Guimba Lagasan Handloom Association in Parang, Sulu. Along with fellow weavers Nadia Allih and Harija Alaw, they were apprentices of Darhata Sawabi (1943–2005), a nationally recognised Tausug weaver renowned for her skill with pis syabit.

Return to Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: Roots and Currents