Mark Tolentino was raised in Tausug communities in Davao City and considers himself ‘Tausug at heart’. Tolentino studied at the Ford Academy of the Arts in Mindanao and his paintings often focus on Mindanao’s cultural traditions, including its Indigenous people and their modes of dress. Tolentino participated in the collaborative painting Silent Witness 2019, included in this Triennial, and painted murals for the Ateneo de Davao University chapel that combine Tausug and Christian imagery to represent a process of inclusive peace. Alongside his painting practice, Tolentino makes Tausug ceremonial cloths.

A burras is a type of Tausug wall-hanging, featuring starched white appliqué designs cut out and sewn to a coloured background fabric. Used as decoration for festive and auspicious occasions, including weddings, the best known of these appliqué designs feature the Tawbi or tree of life. In Tolentino’s Burras, the Tawbi in the central panel is framed by a large border and shows ornate branches, vines and flowers executed using the ukkil motif — an arabesque form that indicates unity and continuity for many Moro communities. The tree of life as a subject may also reflect early trade with India, from the thirteenth century.

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