Krisher Bayani Appay is a Tausug artist who lives and works in Sulu, an island and province that forms part of the Sulu Archipelago and the broader Mindanao region. She is known for her Habul Tyahian, hand-embroidered satin fabrics showing motifs associated with Muslim beliefs. On colourful satin backgrounds, embroidered motifs form continuous, linear patterns of three or five lines using the ukkil — a unique visual language of vegetal and flowing forms with its own grammar and vocabulary. Motifs include flowers such as the kayapo (lotus); nayaga (dragons or serpents), sulam (leaves) and bagun-bagun (vines).

Appay describes her works as a means to promote cultural identity and help women to be acknowledged as important players in community development, including the quest for a peaceful community. On display for the Triennial, Appay’s Habul Tyahian features cerulean satin embroidered with a three-line floral motif.

Return to Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: Roots and Currents