On July 3, ANTHILL Fabric Gallery officially unveiled its first-ever textile exhibition, “Habol, Hablon, Hinablon: Until Now, We Learn,” celebrating the practice of weaving as an art form that highlights the Cebuano identity.
During the exhibition’s opening reception at ANTHILL’s gallery, guests marveled at the featured works by fashion and textile designer Jessica Durano and weaver John Rey Sanchez, curated by New York City–based arts researcher Kaye Yuvallos. Featured works include Sanchez’s “Pagsubang”—a beautifully woven depiction of a sunrise—and Durano’s “Diwa,” a piece meant to convey the designer’s key life transitions.
“It was moving and challenging,” said Durano. “I finally see how textile weaving is a way of finding who you are. Weaving communities always embed themselves in the piece, and I now connect with this deeply as I express myself through the loom.”
Visitors also had the chance to see Durano and Sanchez demonstrate their artistic talents through live weaving performances. The final results of the weaving were displayed at the end of the evening.
For Yuvallos, who joined the gallery’s program via Zoom, the exhibition is more than just showcasing “polished artifacts or fixed identities.”
“It’s about making space for becoming and how stories are made through, as well as by, making. Weaving, as with our ancestors, continues to be a way to sense oneself more deeply and to welcome others to do the same.”
The launch of the textile exhibition also coincides with ANTHILL’s 15th anniversary. For this milestone year, the social enterprise is looking to expand its identity as a brand. “Today, we reopen our doors with a reimagined ANTHILL, apart from it just being a retail fashion store or a fabric store. We want to open the door of ANTHILL as the very first fabric gallery here in Cebu,” said ANTHILL founder Anya Lim during the opening reception.
ANTHILL—which stands for Alternative Nest and Trading or Training Hub for Indigenous/Ingenious Little Livelihood seekers—hopes that the exhibition marks the beginning of a new era in which the social enterprise’s space becomes a place where stories are told through crafts like weaving.
Part of this reimagination of ANTHILL as a space is about heightening the visibility of weaving as a way of telling the story of Cebuano identity. “We really just want to continuously work on elevating the craft of weaving that’s very much rooted in our culture in Cebu,” said Lim.
The free-admission textile exhibition is open from July 3 to October 3, 2025, at the ANTHILL Fabric Gallery in Cebu City. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about ANTHILL Fabric Gallery and its mission, visit www.anthillfabrics.com.
Photography Lean Patrimonio
