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Online Campaign Wants 95-year-old Wang-Od To Be Recognized As A National Artist

Online campaign wants 95-year-old wang-od to be recognized as a national artist. On social media sites, there has been a campaign to get Wang-Od (Fang-Od) recognized as a National Artist.

Jan 26, 20233 Shares207 Views
Online campaign wants 95-year-old wang-od to be recognized as a national artist. Please be guided in the following key points raised in this article:
  • There is an online campaign to get the oldest tattoo artist in Kalinga to be named a National Artist.
  • Campaign says that Wang-contribution Od's to the art of tattooing is one of the best in the world.
  • Filipinos who have made important art contributions to their country are given the National Artist Award.
On social media sites, there has been a campaign to get Wang-Od (Fang-Od) recognized as a National Artist. Some of Wang-portraits Od have writing that says:
Whang-Od is the last Ancient Kalinga Tattoo artist. In the past years, the silence of this ancient art was broken because people from around the globe pay homage to this remaining artist and take pride that they were tattooed by her. It is my personal advocacy to let the Filipino community realize that it is now time to recognize her world-class contribution to the art of tattoo-making that is genuinely Filipino. She deserves to be one of our National Artist.
The online campaign was started on September 17 by a biology teacher in Cebu City named Edward Laurence Opena. When Kicker Daily asked him why he started the campaign, he said, first of all, that he likes art.
He also said that he knew an artist named Professor Jumalon who invented Lepidomosaic (using butterfly wings as a medium) but was never recognized as a national artist, even though he was the first person in the world to think of it. He said:
I don’t want that to happen to Wang-Od, though I’m not into tattoo. But I believe that the art tells of the Kalinga’s rich history and tradition. I then thought that if we will be able to let the government know that she deserves the award, perhaps we can revive the fading art.
He went on to say that he feels Wang-story Od's is the story of the Filipino. "Every ink embedded in every skin of those who have had the opportunity to meet her, reflects how rich and diverse is our culture and tradition," he concluded.
The Butbut tribe's 95-year-old last'mambabatok' (tattooist in Ihuthot dialect) is considered the tribe's oldest tattoo artist. She is well-known throughout the world for using a coconut bowl to mix in water, charcoal or soot, and sweet potato to impart texture to the combination. To penetrate the skin, a suha or pomelo thorn will be fastened to the tip of a calamansi twig.
Tattoos were originally won by males through tribal conquests, according to Ana Salva and Joan Planas of Looking For Stories in a feature story about Wang-Od. It is a symbol of bravery and masculinity since a warrior must first reveal their enemy's head before being inked as proof of their authorship.
Tattoos on females, on the other hand, are associated with attractiveness among their communities. Wang-entire Od's body is covered in snake skin and rice grain patterns. However, getting tattooed by Wang-Od is no longer done in the traditional manner. They've made tattooing available to everyone daring enough to deal with the discomfort of piercings.
There is no greater joy for Wang-Od than sharing her art. She was quoted in the Looking For Stories feature story as saying:
Happiness to me is being able to live up to 100 yeas making tattoos. I’m delighted of having people from all over the world coming to my home to visit and get a tattoo from me: this gives me meaning to my life.
According to the Cultural Center of the Philippines' website, the Order of the National Artists Award is the highest national recognition given to Filipinos who have made significant contributions to the country's arts, which include music, theater, dance, literature, film and broadcast arts, visual arts and architecture, and allied arts.
Lino Brocka (Film), Bienvenido Lumbera (Literature), F. Sionil Jose (Literature), and Ang Kiukok (Visual Arts) are among the National Artist winners. Artists and individuals from around the world have shared the campaign approximately 6,000 times on Facebook.

Final Words

Some people believed that Whang Od embodies the old art of tattooing making her qualified as a National artist. However, Apo Whang-od for National Artist is a misguided campaign for status and recognition. The 97-year-old traditional tattoo artist from Kalinga is being nominated in the wrong category.
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, or National Living Treasures, is a more appropriate honor for her. She should be a Gawad ng Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) recipient because she has continued to nurture traditional Filipino tattoo art, a key component of Philippine culture and identity.
On the other hand, small tattoos cost P200-300, while larger designs cost P500-1200, with higher prices for full band and personal designs.
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