Stylized ᜊᜑᜎᜈ traditional Sulat. Ink on watercolor paper #calligraphy #artph #sulatninuno #baybayin #art

Look out for our events on @kumuph on 6/8, 10, and 18. See the post by guro @lanewilcken for more batok photos. Repost @lanewilcken ・・・ "The responsibility of a cultural practitioner is to put themselves out of work." -Kristian Kabuay In my efforts to bring cultural tattoos back into the collective consciousness of the people of the Philippines, my students are priceless to me. Many people want to glamourize the privilege my students' experience, however, they do not know the tremendously hard work & responsibility they bear both in front of the public eye and behind the scenes. It's easy for most people to commit to a path when the excitement is fresh & new, but when the mental fatigue and physical exhaustion sets in day after day, many people falter. Just in their responsibility of stretching skin, it so important that they remain steady & strong for the recipient and myself so I can be as accurate as possible. (Imagine planking off and on for hours at a time. I'm not joking.) While I appreciate my students' physical strength for the active work as we mark others, it is their commitment to internalize the practice's visual literacy, oral traditions, history, lore, and their altruistic desire to serve our people and ancestors that makes them the people of character and wisdom needed for this work. As my students continue to grow and learn, eventually they will no longer work beside me & establish their own practices. I will fade into the background and in time they will replace me when I pass. This practice is bigger than me or any one individual. It is a legacy of thousands of years that we get to briefly be a part of. To my students, agyamanak unay iti pannakatulongyo. Thank you also for your dedication and showing up. Its an honor to bestow your marks. You are loved. ? ・・・ #batok #filipinotattoos #tattoos #handtappedtattoo #kataolivingtraditions

Spotted a billboard in the Philippines for the upcoming Netflix series Trese. notice the Sulat in the graphic. It's something that we've been working towards for well over a decade. When @kapuwaco, @nordenx71, and I started our own/combined efforts to propagate Sulat, the goal was to eventually see it in the mainstream. The work has always been beyond the art. Scripts as a cultural identifier for economic value. Congrats to all the people doing the work to normalize this aspect of our culture. Anyone know who on the project actually wrote the script? Looking forward to what's next. ᜋᜊᜓᜑ Mabuhay. Photo from @howiesev #netflix #netflixanime #trese #philippines #filipino #sulat #baybayin

Save the date 6/18, 5-9PM PT - Batok session 3 is live tattooing by @lanewilcken. Exclusively on the @kumu_usa channel on @kumuph. See my previous post about session 1 on 6/8 and session 2 on 6/10. #kumuph #batok #filipinotattoos #filipino #filipinx #philippines @kumu.lit

Save the date 6/10, 5-7PM PT - Batok talks session 2 is with @lanewilcken. Exclusively on the @kumu_usa channel on @kumuph. See my previous post about session 1 on 6/8. Details for session 3 on 6/18 coming soon. #kumuph #batok #filipinotattoos #filipino #filipinx #philippines @kumu.lit

Save the date 6/8, 6-8PM PT - I'll be hosting a series of Batok (traditional tattooing) live streams exclusively on the @kumu_usa channel on @kumuph. The first one will be about the experience of apprenticeship by @nataliawanders @natan.decoco @ladislaoraina working with @lanewilcken. I'll post more info about the following sessions on 6/10 and 6/18. #kumuph #batok #filipinotattoos #filipino #filipinx #philippines @kumu.lit

IG special: $50 + 5 for shipping. Lakas (strength) written traditionally 8"x10" canvas. US only for this piece. I could do prints internationally. Venmo/PayPal. DM for more info #calligraphy #artph #philippineart #baybayin #sulatkamay #kabuay #artforsale

? SOLD - IG special: $20 + 5 for shipping. Lakas (strength) written traditionally 5"x7" watercolor paper. US only for this piece. I could do prints internationally. Venmo/PayPal. DM for more info #calligraphy #artph #philippineart #baybayin #sulatkamay #kabuay #artforsale

It's been a while since I worked in new pieces. Here's a close up shot of Malaya (Free) on 8x10 watercolor paper. I still need to take photos and add them to my online store. This one is $40+5 shipping. Special price for my IG followers. US only Venmo or PayPal. DM if you want to see the whole pict. Open for custom 8x10 pieces in this style (black/red) for delivery in July. I like to work in batches using the same ink mixes for a snapshot of this period. #calligraphy #sulatkamay #kabuay #baybayin #filipinx #fineart #sfartists #artph #philippineart

Close up of a piece I did at @macysunionsquaresf. Created with a custom ink mix and custom cut markers. I work by what I call stroke economics. I don't draw the lines, each one equals one stroke to mimick how we would write on bamboo. I'll be back tomorrow 1-3PM 3rd floor Union Square side. #art #sfartist #calligraphy #baybayin #kabuay #filamartist #filipinx #artph