Rameer Tawasil (Photo from his Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bangsamoro Parliament adopted a resolution to honor the late Rameer Tawasil, an artist who specialized in “ukkil,” a precolonial technique of decorative design found among the Moro and Lumad people.
Tawasil died on June 6 due to myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare form of blood cancer, according to MindaNews.
“It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Rameer Amilasan Tawasil, globally recognized artist, master of the ukkil, proud Tausug, and a true son of the Bangsamoro,” Member of Parliament Amir Mawallil said in his speech introducing the Resolution No. 290 honoring the artist.
“Rameer’s brushstrokes rendered unto the canvas not only his own personal experiences and worldview but an entire people’s heritage, aspirations, and even our collective trauma. In doing so, he was able to transform our very wounds into artifacts of understanding, empathy, and, ultimately, healing,” Mawallil added.
Mawallil introduced the resolution along with several other Parliament members — namely Ras Mitmug Jr., John Anthony Lim, Nabil Tan, Laisa Alamia, and Don Loong. It was co-authored by MPs Baintan Ampatuan, Suharto Ambolodto, and Rasul Ismael.
Tawasil received the prestigious Zamboanga Hermosa Recognition Award for Culture and the Arts in 2003 and the National Traveling Exhibition Grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in the same year.
The resolution also noted that his masterpieces were also featured in galleries in London and Malaysia and in private collections in Germany, Korea, the US, and the Philippines.
“His passing is a profound loss to the people of the Bangsamoro, and we can only hope that the coming generation of Moro artists emulates not only his talent but more importantly, his rootedness and the unwavering clarity of his vision,” Mawallil said.
Meanwhile, the resolution also urged the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage to explore avenues to preserve and promote the artistic legacy of Tawasil.