Rhudsia Jamih Mohammad
A view of woven Tondaan (boats) by Rhudsia Jamih Mohammad, installed for the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial, GOMA, November 2024 / Sama people / The Philippines b.1959 / Lives and works in Nunukan, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi Province, The Philippines / Purchased 2024 with funds from the Bequest of Noela Clare Deutscher, in memory of her parents, A. Evans Deutscher and Clare Deutscher, through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / © Rhudsia Jamih Mohammad / Photograph: C Callistemon, QAGOMA / View full image
Artist Rhudsia Mohammad, participant in the Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: Roots and Currents project / Courtesy: The artist
Rhudsia Jamih Mohammad is a Sama artist from Tawi-Tawi, an island province in the Sulu Archipelago within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Her work celebrates her Muslim faith and Sama heritage through the creation of Tutup, vibrantly coloured woven food covers with ceremonial significance. These covers are adorned with motifs inspired by seafaring traditions, including the five-pointed star (bintang), zigzags representing lightning, and undulating lines symbolizing waves. Typical of the Sama style, Mohammad’s Tutup feature a rounded top.
Innovating on the form, Mohammad also creates miniature Tondaan, intricately detailed boats with colourful sails reflecting the Sama people's maritime heritage and boat craftsmanship. The Sama people, originally from Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, and Basilan, have a long history in the region. However, ongoing conflict in the Sulu Archipelago has led many Sama to migrate to Sabah and Sulawesi in recent decades.
Return to Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago: Roots and Currents