​Didactic text:

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Tul-an sang aton kamal-aman (Bones of our elders) honours the history and indigenous culture of Panay island in the Philippines through a tribute to local figures, community traditions, ancient cultivation practices and spiritual beliefs. Teresa Magbanua is a central figure in the mural, and a symbol of colonial resistance as a veteran of the Philippine Revolution (1896–98), Philippine–American War (1899–1902) and Japanese occupation of the Philippines (1942–45).

 

Magbanua is portrayed steadfast in protecting the mangunguma (farmers) behind her, who tend to the bounty of the land, as well as the Aeta, its original inhabitants.

 

The concept of bayanihan (communal unity) and Indigenous spiritual beliefs are foregrounded through the activities of the people and the presence of a babaylan (shaman) carrying out rituals near a lunok tree, said to be the abode of supernatural beings. Weaving through and around these symbols is the Bakunawa, the Visayan serpent deity whose movements determined the ancient

Panayanon calendar. Serpents are revered creatures in the Philippine folklore and are considered a physical manifestation of anito (ancestors) in the broader Visayan region, including Iloilo. The coiled figure of the Bakunawa symbolically connects the people, the land and the spirit world. Through their mural, Kikik invoke knowledge and values of the past, while acting as instigators in the dialogue for decolonisation.

 

As artists, we function similarly to a scribe, recording our observation of our time and consequently answering the obligation of preserving our culture.

 

• To signify that Teresa Magbanua is an important symbol of resistance. Not only against the colonizers, but also against the ideals and social influences that steer us away from our roots, cultural practices and way of life. Magbanua is also a symbol of the roles of women and men in Filipino culture and how interchangeable the roles of both sexes are.

 

• To give honor to our farmers because they have always been a part of the cultural and spiritual evolution of Filipinos since the old days. We hope the young generations would give appreciation to the land if we want to help solve the hunger issue and the ever-increasing price of commodities.

 

• To appreciate our herbs for their healing properties, in honor of the old healers i.e. the Babaylan. But not only in the healing or medicinal aspect but also on the emphasis of their roles as community counselors in the past. As they can provide insight, emphasis and solutions that are more local and more suited for the community towards the use of local ingredients for food, drinks and medicine. In that way, we could support our local herbalists and farmers.

 

• To give reverence not just towards animals but towards nature as a whole. We also would like to give awareness that indeed snakes and other reptiles have been linked with symbols of evil and monstrosity, but inherently they are not. In that way, we could inform the communities to take better care of Mother Earth.

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Artists like historians exhume stories before they are lost to us forever. If history is indeed cyclical, then forgetfulness is truly the bane of humankind and remembrance the only remedy for the people whose generational identities are threatened to be uprooted by the inevitable onslaught of change and time.