Remembering Through Skin: Tattoo Lineages of Southern Philippines

Community members and cultural enthusiasts are invited to a landmark event, “Remembering Through Skin: Tattoo Lineages of Southern Philippines,” featuring renowned traditional tattoo practitioner and researcher Piper Abas.

​Tracing his heritage to the Higaonon, Visayan, and Maguindanao Peoples, Abas arrives from Bukidnon, Mindanao, to share over fifteen years of dedicated research into the revival of indigenous tattooing. This event moves beyond the aesthetic of "body art," exploring the tattoo as a living embodiment of identity, cultural continuity, and indigenous knowledge systems.

​Event Highlights:

​The evening offers an immersive journey into the intangible heritage of the Southern Philippines through music, movement, and deep-dive discussion:

• ​Cultural Performances: Opening rituals featuring the UH Kulintang Ensemble and a dance performance by House of Gongs’ Balay Isla Katao.
• ​Expert Panel: A conversation with Piper Abas exploring the parallels between Philippine and Hawaiian tattooing traditions.
• ​Interactive Q&A: An opportunity for the public to engage directly with the practitioners.
• ​Open Demonstration: A rare, live look at the tools and techniques utilized in traditional Philippine tattooing.

About Piper Abas

​Piper Abas is a traditional tattoo practitioner and independent researcher based in Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines, whose work focuses on the revival of indigenous tattooing practices.

For over fifteen years, he has pursued independent research on ancestral tattoo traditions, drawing from historical sources, material culture, and community-based knowledge. He documents and shares tattoo practices among various indigenous groups in Mindanao and traces his heritage to the Higaonon, Visayan, and Maguinanao Peoples. His work approaches tattooing not merely as body ornamentation but as an embodied expression of identity, cultural continuity, and indigenous knowledge systems. His practice contributes to ongoing discussions on cultural revival, intangible heritage, and the transmission of indigenous knowledge.

​Event Details

• ​Title: Remembering Through Skin: Tattoo Lineages of Southern Philippines
• ​Date: March 11, 2026, 5:30 PM to 7:30 P
• ​Location: East West Center, 1711 E West Road, Honolulu, HI

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